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Holiday-Truth Readers Averages Ratings For Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment
	Gran Ventana Beach Resort
	Playa Dorada - Dominican Republic
	Caribbean
	Star Rating:
	Telephone:
	Number Of Rooms:
	Number Of Floors:
	What The Brochures Say:
	First Choice
	A spacious and beautifully decorated hotel, this is a firm favourite year after year with First Choice guests. A truly relaxing environment, where you can lie back and soak up the sun.

Holiday-Truth Readers Reports
Skilbecks from York travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a family holiday. There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2008
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: This is an excellant hotel. The food was superb in the main restaurant and Octopus restaurant. The rooms were large and clean, although they could do with more storage if more than 2 people are using them The beach is striking , everything you would expect in the Caribbean, white sand and turquoise sea. There are a lot of sun beds and covered areas ( though you need to get up early to get one). The staff are extremely friendly and helpful and most can speak good English. The only bad points are the lack of dress code on an evening (people in sea shorts and vests) and a small minority of loud ( mainly British ) guests. All in all this is a brilliant hotel and we would highly recommend it. Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
Rosanna from Puerto Plata travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with / on a friends holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2008
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Well i stayed here for my birthday in early april. I live here but im english and ive stayed in 5 or 6 hotels and this is the best, the rooms, the pool, drinks, view. Everything. The animacion, well obviously they have their off days and they can make you feel angry. Biggg hello julio, mosquito, pepe, kokoloco and david. I had a good birthday although i was alone because my friend was ill. Julio and mosquito and pepe were the best and made my birthday by getting me to dance and inviting me out, thankyou :) The shows were some of the best i have seen, different dances and people every night. The entertainment in the day could have been better, they always go to the same people and dont really join in, when youre playing, they leave. The food was great, big choice, flavour and hot. The pool is the cleanest pool ive seen. The rooms were modern and clean, not very big but nice. Reception men were horrible when we were booking. BEST HOTEL STAY HERE BECAREFUL WITH ANIMACION! They tend to go too far, just keep your distance!
sue from stoke-on-trent travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomas cook on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2008
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: This hotel was amazing one of the best hotels we have stayed in. The location was superb right on the beach for the daytime and near to the plaza at night so that if we had one too many we could stumble home. The hotel was always clean and the maids were always leaving us things to go back to in our rooms flowers swan shaped towels etc. The entertainment team were fabulous working hard all day with water polo footbal etc and at night especially julio, pp, mosquito and johnny bravo, the song that the team dance to is so catchy I even downloaded it when I got home. The bar staff and even the waiters were all very friendly and would do anyhting to help. The pool was always clean and we never found any problems getting a sunbed. Also if you like snorkelling there is plenty to be done on this island we went to sosua where there were brilliant coral reefs. Where the hotel is situated on the beach if you swim out a bit there is plenty of fish to see. I would recommend this hotel to anyone. Also ensure you get your al carte resturants as these are well worth a visit, the food was always nice and well presented in the buffet resturant but can get a little repetitve, we also like to eat at the plaza sometimes roadway and hemmingways do lovely chiken fajitas.
John from Sheffield travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomson on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2008
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: As other guests have commented, the rooms are a bit dated and ready for refurbishment, but the hotel as a whole was spotless with an army of cleaners always on the go. Food was good, staff always friendly and helpful. On the whole a very enjoyable holiday.
richardson from leeds travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomas cook on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2008
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: This hotel was graded a 4+ in the thomas cook brochure, i wonder if any of the team have visited this hotel, yes it is right on the beach and in fab surroundings and entertainment is ongoing, however the rooms are so dated the bathroom needs changing as everything looks old, we had a leaking sink, blocked toilet, toilet handle falling off, broken patio lock, a fridge that if we were lucky contained a large bottle of water 2 beers 1 coke and 1 sprite, my suggestion remove then each morning so they have to stock them up, no special attention paid when it was a member of our parties birthday even though i had emailed them, very disappointing and needs grading to a max of 3 stars.
Froggatt from Nottingham travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with first choice on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2007
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Gran Ventana is a fantastic hotel The hotel is spotless the staff work none stop to keep this hotel clean, although the rooms are dated they are now being up-dated one block at a time, there is no noise coming from the blocks which are being worked on so don't worry. The restaurants are all fantastic, there is a massive choice of dishes. A'LA CARTE RESTAURANT Italian was our favourite The Octopus was our second favourite The ocean grill our least favourite but only because it's on the sea front and the sand fleas have a field day with your ankles. you can book all the restaurants in advance for the week, which i reccommend you do save's you keep going back every day. STAFF they are the most amazing people, they can't do enough for you, and always have a big smile on there face. ENTERTAINMENT STAFF These guys work from 9.00am - 11.30pm they never stop entertaining you and really try hard to please, our favourite was Julio is energy was infectious, some of the show are dated but keep in mind it is a third world country, so whats old to us is very new to them, and they do try and make it very funny.
Gemma from Warwickshire travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2007
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We flew out of gatwick and had pre-booked preimer seats and im glad we did. All our on board drinks were included and we had our own tv on the back of the seat in front and so much more leg room. Didn't get to see much on the trip to the hotel as it was getting dark. It rained really hard on our first few days but when the sun did come out it was lovely. The room was very clean. We had clean beds and towels everyday. The fridge in the room was also stocked each day. When the cleaners had finished they always tidyed our shoes up and put them in a line under the table which i thought was really lovely. The food was great, my partner is a really fussy eater and he really enjoyed the food. Our thomas cook rep amanda was brilliant. Any problems we had she would do her best to sort out. Couldn't fault her or the staff. The beach was beautiful apart from beach venders selling things. All you have to do is say no and the leave you alone. We would definitely consider coming back again in the future.
Gran ventana from dominican republic travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with signature on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2007
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: The room we stayed in was run down we couldn`t get the door opened. We had to get it fixed so that we were able to get in. We were also situated in front of the pool which was a great view but the show kept us up all night because of the music and the bar. We hardly slept..Then we found bugs in our room. Our room was fumigated after that. I saw a rat in the main lobby. The buffet was ordinary and the the restaurants were no different than the buffet. We had no bottled wine or beers everything was draft. The staff was very nice and so was the beach.The pool area was also nice. I have to say that I have travelled to many places and this one is without a doubt the worst. I would never return and would discourage people from going.I am sorry to say but you will never get me again...
Downs from Stoke On Trent travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Portland on a family holiday. There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2007
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: The rooms were tired looking but spotlessly clean even the bedding. The maids were so friendly and made a huge effort in ensuring your fridge was well stocked and extra special towel sculptures with fresh flowers e.g. Swan. The food was good and lots of it although the buffet restaurant got very hot of an evening due to having ceiling fans. There were 3 other restaurants, Italian, Caribbean and Grill. The food at these restaurants were wonderful. You had to book these and you could only go one of each per week. The location was superb, hotel on sandy beach which was lovely and clean and outside the hotel was a huge complex that had well maintained lawns, shopping complex and other hotels. Golfers would be in their element on the golf circuit. Staff are friendly and love to make the time and effort in getting to know you and your family. Entertainment was strictly average but the entertainment team did try hard and were fully committed. We would go back to this hotel without a doubt, there were people who went back year after year and for 3 weeks to a month. That says it all.
shereen white from preston lancashire travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with first choice on a family holiday. There were 1 adults and 3 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: This hotel is fantastic! i stayed here over xmas with my 3 daughters and from the staff to the food to the immaculatly beutifull kept hotel/grounds it was a holiday in paradise , entertainment team was awesome so lovly , having visited over 20 all inclusive hotels this is my number 1 in every way .
kevin fisher from rotherham travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with th cook on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Fantastic, we moved here from the very disappointing Occidental Flamenco (shocking hotel). The food is really good and the beach is fantastic.......met a lot of people from different hotels and from what we can gather this is poss the best around. Hope this helps.
Jemma from Cardiff travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with partner on a singles holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: FLIGHT:We flew with Thomsonfly and prebooked the premium cabin, we feel glad we upgraded, we had all on board drinks included, much better flight meals, and extra legroom. Outbound flight from Gatwick we had individual seatback tv screens with choice of videos, and on the return we had individual digi-e-players with bigger choice of movies, tv programmes and music.the crew and service were very good. REP: Our Thomson Rep 'Alexis' was very friendly and knowledgable, we prebboked all our excursions through her (read all about these below later). HOTEL: Gran Ventana hotel was perfect, we booked this after doing our homework browsing the web and found very good reviews, and our review too is a very very good one. Staff -are very friendly and couldnt do enough for you, our maid Clara was very grateful for the daily tip we left (100 pesos a day-which is alot to them) and left me a gift at the end of the stay to show her appreciation of the tips we left. On our last day we left all our cosmetics and toiletries as they appreciate this too. Room was very nice,number 2304 in Catalina block,we feel was one of the best rooms the hotel offers, top floor with lovely pool and mountain view. We did have a very small hitch at the start of the stay shortly after checking-in, the hairdryer in the bathroom fell apart into 5 pieces and all the electric wires inside were dangerously out, but very promptly maintenance team were there re-fitting a new one. Pool/poolbar-We stayed around the larger pool as we preferred the atmosphere, little music, etc and loved the swim-up bar to cool down with the great range of cocktails, our favourite was the 'gazebo'-yummy! Food-always fresh, hot and plenty of choice in the main buffett restaurant. You can dine a la carte restaurants up to 3 evenings per week. we chose the ocean grill and had a lovely meal there, with excellent waiter service. Activities- The hotel team provide good range of activities during each day from volleyball,waterpolo,aerobics,pool and darts tournaments,spanish lessons etc-you can do as much or as little as you wish! One afternoon they had a poolside party with cocktails and buffett, one afternoon they did a teaparty with coffee and cakes. Evenings- show each evening at 930pm, live bands,dance shows, magic shows, karaoke-the team worked very hard each evening however after the 1 hour show theres not much else to do as the staff just have a little dance for 1/2 hour and these same songs each evening we did find repetative and eventually boring. There is a bar 5 minutes walk from the hotel called hemingways which does live music and discos if you do want a change of scenery one evening or just want a drink out of the hotel. Beach- on site at hotel with watersports, some of which are included in the all-inclusive holiday cost-eg kayaks,snorkelling, windsurfing. and others which are payable eg, jetskis, banana boat. Horse riding and other excursions also available to book on the beach. Would definately return anyday.
claire and mark from leicestershire travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomsons on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Check in- very quick and efficient, polite staff. We were allocated a ground floor room in Catalina block next to the kids club. We had no view whatsoever and weren't overlooking the pool so we went back to reception and were given keys for a different room which we found acceptable. Our luggage arrived with 5 mins and the bell boy showed us how everything worked etc. air con very effective but leave you balcony door shut otherwise it drips. Maids- friendly and polite- Hola from everyone. Did a good job cleaning but we did have to ring reception to get the fridge filled properly and this arrived promptly. We had clean towels everyday- again no prblem requesting more. Pools- lovely big main pool, witha shelved end for kids, a bit sectioned off for volleyball. In my opinion, pool bars a big no no! There was also a little kids pool next to the kids club.cleaned regularly throughout the day. Beach- the work to the beach has been done and it is lovely, but you do get a lot of vendors asking you to buy, have a laugh and a joke with them, and chat to them, but do be wary of the prices- haggle haggle haggle, at the end of the day something is better than nothing and you get a better bargain if it was raining a lot the day before. Do not buy trips from anyone on the beach! Entertainment- not the best but these guys work hard. Thye do the kids club, so you will see them for 8am until 12.00 pm and they do not stop. Food- very good, couldn't fault it. waiting staff were lovely and will soon get to know your order. Plenty of choice and always hot. basic slection at the beach grill, bit fine for lunch. We ate at the Octopus ala carte and were very impressed. Drinks- the beer in the rooms is quesqyua?? The cocktails are lovely, I worked my way through the list. You have to try a Gran Ventana special, and a Sammy Sosa also the non-alc fruit punch was lovely. All in all this was a very good hotel and wouldn't have any probs with recommending it, the staff and food more than make up for any lacking bedroom wise. We would visit it again, but next time would go somewhere diff, only because we don't go to hotels for 2 yrs on the trot and there so many to choose from.
paul & leila from harwich essex travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomas cook on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We had a fantastic time at the Gran Ventana beach resort. My husband booked the holiday for my 40th birthday and the hotel was recommended to us by one of the girls in the travel agents who had been there. We really feel that we hit the jackpot the hotel is clean, the staff friendly and always smiling even though they work extremely hard. We spoke to several couples who had returned to the resort several times. The food was great with plenty of choice even for the fussiest of eaters. We really enjoyed the pool bar for it's fantastic cocktails. The rooms were basic the bathrooms could do with updating but very clean. We only stayed a week but would have liked to have stayed longer. We managed to go on three trips. The monster truck safari is highly recommended we had a great day. It was a good oppotunity to see how the locals live and our guide was very informative and entertaining. We had lunch by a gorgeous lake and swam in it for about one and a half hours. We would very much like to go back again and would recommend it to anyone.
catherine morrison from isle of lewis travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with direct holidays on a family holiday. There were 6 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: The Gran Ventana is an excellent hotel to stay in, your room was very clean, every day beds changed as well as the towels. Can't fault the staff they could not do enough for you. The food was very good even the pickiest eater would never starve and as much to drink as you could manage, the only thing that lets the hotel down is the entertainment they really need to address this.
Beach from Potton travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Portland Direct on a couples holiday. There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We visited Gran Ventana for the second time in September, this time we brought friends who had never visited the Caribbean or done all-inclusive before, they were absolutely delighted with the hotel, service etc. The beach was lovely, you do get vendors selling their wares, but you only have to say No and they leave you alone, the cleanliness of the hotel could not be faulted, the staff were extremely friendly. We did a trip to Paradise Island, which was excellent. Security was low key but in evidence. All in all I would recommend this hotel, and would certainly go back again.
Rachel & Chris from Middlesbrough travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Direct Holidays on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We booked the holiday as a last minute deal which was well worth the money we paid. We would of slightly dissapointed if we had paid the full price. We have given the hotel 5 stars for cleaniness because there was always cleaners mopping floors etc, however it can be a bit of a pain as seems as though no privacy when going to the washrooms round the pool etc, also the maids just walk in your room without knocking on a morning. The Buffet had a huge selection of food which was really nice for the first couple of days but as in anything you soon get bored. The Al-A-Carte's were fantastic and a nice change (Ocean Grill not as nice as the other 2). Booking for these where a nightmare. The hotel was apparently only 60% full but we still struggled to make reservations as the female staff on the customer service desk were not interested and VERY RUDE and were more bothered about the MSN messages they were getting on the computer. We called up the resturants on a few occasions and they allowed us to just turn up. The male hotel staff where fantastic and also the cleaners however felt that the female staff a little rude. Entertainment was good alot of effort put into the acts etc. Beach was nice but you where constantly approached by beach sellers which was a real pain, they didn't take notice to the fact you where reading or talking to someone. A walk down to the shopping Mall on a day was also the same getting mobbed by people to go on their excursions etc. Airport extremely stressfull when going home, queing for hours to check in and then to get into the building (take a fan). We say NO to returning to the hotel but purely because we would like to travel else where however if the right price came up I would definitely return as we had a great time.
Danny from Coventry travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas COok on a family holiday. There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Best Hotel I have ever been to. I Work for Hilton Hotels and there service exceeded my expectations and the service which is standard with Hilton! The pool area is beutiful with plenty of sunbeds (even in peak season) Food - out of this world, even on the buffet - there is a grill if you dont fancy something off the hot plates where the chefs cook it for you right infront of you. Then there are 3 a-le-carte restaurants, which u are aloud to visit each one once every week, (So if u visit for 2 weeks, u get 6 a-le-carte meals) The a-le-carte is also good as its a full inclusive 3/4 course menu The range of soft and alcoholic drinks is very good, Try there peach snapps and pineapple juice is great! rooms are lovely and spacious (well we booked 2 rooms both with double beds, so all 4 of us had a double bed each) rooms have air-con, and a big bath/shower and a balcony. Rooms are cleaned daily, and sheets, towles are changed daily! good idea to leave a small tip for the staff, they work 12-18 hour shifts 6/7 days a week most of them Entertainment - well like most hotels its ok... I made my own fun at the bar! on the beach which is beutiful, and clean, but try and venture down the coast a few meters and u will find it a lot quieter Its on the atlantic coast and theres a lovely cold breeze which is great considering most days where in the 40's! Id advise you take Dollars, theere a lot more used than there own Pesos. There are some other bars in the resort but they are very expensive! Take the dominican outback tour, its a great day out and it shows you the real dominican republic, not the commercialised perfection which u will see in PLaya Dorada which is exlusive to foreign travellers
robby64 from east yorks travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomson on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Just returned from the Gran Ventana on Sat 9th Sept It was a holiday booked 6 weeks earlier although I had read the reports previously. We didnt book premier seats on the flight but boy could we have done with them it was very cramped and uncomfortable but hopefully this will be better next year when Thomsonfly upgrade their standard seats. We arrived 1 hour ealier than expected and as soon as we pulled our cases of the carousel the porters were all over us and wouldnt take no for an answer I suggest that you keep a tight hold of your luggage. It was a 20 min transfer and very quick and easy check in we were allocated a room in the Seona block on the third floor it was filthy with big cobwebs hanging so off we went back to Reception and after looking at a couple more rooms finally settled on one in the Catalina block on the third floor with a very obstructed view of the sea and ours balcony must have been the only one not to get any sun. First impressions were a bit bleak as it rained for 2 days solid when the sun came out it was alot better but to be honest it felt as if I could have been anywhere as it didnt feel like a Caribbean island. The Food is the main buffet restaurant seemed ok lots of choice but after a couple of days all four of us got jiffy tummies and nothing we took helped at all so it was a case of not going far from the loo we also spoke to other people and they were the same. We also tried the A la Carte ones and they were all excellent especially the Octapus The Entertainment staff really gave it 100% and I loved Enrique (Oh my god) and some of the evening shows had us rolling in the aisles laughing. All in all we hade a nice holiday and our view of the hotel was good but as there is limited things to do outside the hotel unless you pay for trips my two teenage sons were very bored I feel it appeals to families with smaller children. I probably would not return and am glad we only paid £500 each as if I had paid the full £1000 that others paid I would have felt very cheated. Like I said I would not return mainly because we like to go somewhere different each time.
Kernewek from The Lizard, Cornwall travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with First Choice on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Just got back and had a really lovely honeymoon. The thing that makes this hotel so good is the service. The staff make a real effort to make you feel welcome and cannot do enough for you. The hotel is not perfect but it is small niggly things that really in the big scheme of things do not matter whatsoever. There is however one big problem. This is the behaviour of the flight crews who stay here. They were extremely rude, running up and down the corridors screaming at night, consistently drunk and on some occasions very aggressive and this nearly kicked of a few times. I won't go into detail but this is something that the airlines really need to address as it is not fair for your holiday to be ruined by a small minority who get paid to be there. This really did apply to all airlines with the possible exception of Monarch who had a crew that really made an effort to make friends and have a laugh with the rest of us. The thing I enjoyed most of Al was the evenings spent at the Tiki bar by the quiet pool. You really do get to meet a lot of people here and some really funny times are there to be had. We didn't get off to the best start but that as down to First Choice who whilst giving us a lovely flight with their premium service decided to announce at check in that there would be a stop off in Antigua. We would be allowed off the plane to have a smoke etc and it would take about an hour. Unfortunately we weren't allowed off the plane and it took two and a half hours. During this time there were no drinks and everybody was getting very grumpy. When the flight did eventually take off he crew refused to open the bar and it was only when a riot was about to happen the decided to pass round water. Anyway enough about that. We got to the Gran Ventana and all the stress just disappeared. First impressions really are excellent it is so clean and the staff looked after you from the moment you walk into the lobby. We gave the cases to the bellboy and went off to find the room which was in Beata block. This seems to be where they put the couples as we didn't see any families staying here but I might be wrong. I was worried about the noise from the nearby disco but it really wasn't a problem and we couldn't hear anything from our room which faced it directly. The rooms have not been refurbished and from what I could see didn't really need it. The only problem was the hobbit sized bath tub and the shower left a bit to be desired. The rooms were very clean and spacious and the beds very comfortable, though unfortunately on wheels and had a tendency to shoot off if you weren't careful. The air conditioning is excellent and it is quite easy to turn your room into a fridge. The one thing I wasn't overly impressed with was the food. The buffet could be very good but sometimes was really just like school dinners. The big let down was the Italian. This we found really wasn't that good and the food was really quite bland. However, the octopus was very nice and the Steak with onions at the ocean grill is not to be missed, but don't forget your trousers as anyone not wearing full length trousers was quickly turned away. Make sure you book up your restaurants ASAP as they quickly run out of spaces and I think this is something the hotel might want to look at as while we were fine others we spoke to did miss out. The entertainment from the point of view of two honeymooners was pretty dreadful but I can see it being pretty good for a family with children. We didn't really use the main pool as we were keen to avoid the kids running around. however if you are on your honeymoon the extra perks advertised in the brochure were mainly non existent, we did get our dinner at the other hotel which was very nice, however not our junior suite or breakfast in bed, the hotel basically said that these perks didn't exist, and we did feel a bit let down by this. As I said earlier thought the staff were excellent and I have seen people complain about having to give tips. Firstly you don't have to but please remember this is a third world country and the staff get paid very little so please don't be stingy with the tips because they really do earn it. Particularly our maid who was a sweetheart and was so friendly. We tipped 5 dollars every couple of days or so and Ramiro at the Tiki bar who worked so hard for us. He always wanted to know about your day and your glass was never empty. We gave hime a good tip before we left. Overall I would very highly recommend the hotel and although there were a few little niggles thats really all they were. The people you meet and he general atmosphere of a hotel that caters for couples and families alike was excellent.
Michelle from London travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We visited the Gran Ventana between the 17th July to the 31st July. We arrived at the hotel in the afternoon, and was checked in fairly quick, and your baggage is sent too the room later, by the bellboy, which followed about 5 Min's later. When we got to the room that we were allocated, we had to be asked to be moved, as it was right by the main pool, and this is where the entertainment is, and would have been to loud for the children in the night. The receptionist, was very accommodating and upgraded us to a junior suite free of charge, as they had no more standard rooms in none of the three buildings. If you are a family of four, I would advise a junior suite, as the standard room are quite small. The rooms are a bit dated, but this was not a problem for us, as they a kept really really clean, they maids do a very good job, and they work very hard, and work very long hours, they start cleaning about 6.00am, and are still cleaning into the night. The grounds of the hotel is kept really clean as well as the garden areas. The food in the hotel is OK, at the buffet restaurant, you can always find something to eat, but you may fine it hard if you are a vegetarian, and will get boring for you. Breakfast is very repetitive, but they again always a lot of choice, they cook for you an omelette of your choice, the fresh waffles are great, always a long cue for both of these, as well as the fresh smoothie of your choice was also great. The three other restaurants, was OK nothing special, our favorite was the Ocean Grill, we never really like the Italian, the portions are really small here too, and the Octopus was also OK, but did not have a good choice for vegetarians. Most people do dress up for these restaurants, but you can get in if you are wearing three quarter shorts and a t shirt. If you are going to book these restaurants I would advise you to do this as soon as you can. One the fist week the only restaurant that was available was the Italian, and for the second week, you have to book on the Friday, booking opens at 8.00, and I would advise everyone to get there at this time, as I was cued for 2 hours to book these restaurants, the reception for is the other building, were the quite pool is, not in the main building. Hotel Staff, most of the staff are great, loved all the entertainment team, they also work all day and do try their best to include everyone, and to keep you happy. We did have a problem with some of the bar staff, especially by the pool bar, mainly the women bar staff, and there was a lot of complaints about 1 in particular, but the men all great and always smiling. Do be careful not to drink to much of the pina colada, and banana mama, as this does upset the stomach, and you find yourself glued to the toilet. We also found the the big bottled of water left in the fridge in you room, also upset the stomach, but the little bottles seemed to be fine. The staff in all restaurants, really great, always kept you glasses topped up with drink, had no issues with them at all. Not to forget the security staff, great guys, and the gardeners, always friendly. Hotel Location, I feel that the location of the hotel was to isolated for me, nothing to do outside the hotel, even though the plaza is a few minute walk away, but not much to do there either. The beach, I did prefer to go to the beach rather that sit round the pool. The beach is great, done alot of snorkeling, and a few water sports, also we had no problems finding a sun lounger, and the shaded huts. The beach vendors are harmless, a simple no thanks, and they will leave you alone, we made friends with quite a few of the beach vendors, and would take them drinks left in the fridge in the room, or get them drinks from the beach bar. Trips, we booked all our trips from the guys on the beach, as we found the reps to be over priced. We booked with Mike, and he stands at the little stand on the entrance to the beach, we done the following trips Horse riding, this is for three hours, and they take you into the mountains, a really good experience, as I have never ridden a horse before. Beautiful scenery so remember to take you camera with you. We paid $20 per person, but small children go free. Jeep safari, is a must, this trip is an eye opener, and you see the beauty of the DR. You visit Fruit plantation, see how coffee is made, and have a chance to by souvenirs, in a gift shop. You are also taken to a waterfall with you can climb, children have to be over the age of 8. If you can do take things for the children, as you see many on the trip, and they will ask you for things. We took sweets, also paper colouring pencils, felts, rubbers, pencils and pens. The children really do appreciate the things that they are given. This trip was $120 for two adults, and two children, food and drink is also included, the food here really nice, much better then the hotel food. Paradise Island, also another good trip, the bus journey is long, but well worth the wait. You are taken on a speed boat, which is about a 30 minute ride to paradise island. On the Island to are given fruits, coconut, mangos, bananas, and pineapple's, yum yum, and drinks, be careful with the rum, as it is much stronger than what you are given in the hotel. You also go snorkeling and the equipment is included for you, do bring an underwater camera, as you get some really nice pictures, the water is very clear, and this island also has white sand. You stay on the island for 1hr and 30mins, and on the way back you are taken through a national park. When you get off the speed boat, you have lunch, yet again food is really really nice. Food and drink all included in the price can not remember how much this one cost. Dune Buggy Tours, this trip I really really enjoyed, this was for 3 hours. do take some old clothes with you as you get really dirty, they take you into the mountains, but you passes the villages, take some sweets to throw to the kids, as the do run behind the buddies asking for candy. You stop off at a beach, so do wear your swim wear under your clothes, I would say this is a must. This was $120 for two buggie, if you have children, I would recommend this one rather than the Funny Bikes, both my boys aged 4 and 9 really enjoyed this too. Catamaran, was a nice relaxing day out, but on this trip me and my two children were sick. I would recommend you take sea sickness tablets, the boat takes you to Sosua Beach, and you have the chance to just out in the sea and snorkel, yet again equipment provided. Food and drink is also provided on this trip too. Playa Grande Laguna Gri Gri, on this trip it rained all day, so it really spoiled the trip for us. You are taken to a fruit plantation, you get the chance to sample different fruit, also here is a small souvenir shop, if you wish to buy things. We were then taken to Playa Grande beach, this beach is really beautiful and are their for about 1hr, after this you are taken to lunch, yet again food and drink included. This bit we never done a it was raining to heavy, but other on the trip did, you are taken on a boat to shallow caves. We paid $80 for two adults and two children. Ocean World, we originally paid for the dolphin swim, but this was cancelled on us, as they had over booked, so ended up doing the dolphin encounter. Ocean World was not as good as I thought it would be, other the doing the swim or the encounters, there is not much to do. You are only allowed to have one go through the snorkeling reef, and the only two shows are the sea lion show, which was really good, and the bird show, which we did not see. The dolphin encounter was really good and was enjoyed by the children. This was $240 for the dolphin encounter for two adults and two children, food is included, but you have to pay for the drinks. We really enjoyed our holiday to the DR, I would go back to DR again, but not straight away, as their are too many other countries to explore. I would not go back to Gran Ventana, simply because its in the Playa Dorada complex, and to me it is very isolated. I would say to anyone, do not stay inside the resort, get out and visit the real DR, as this is a beautiful country, and the people here are so friendly. Feeling the holiday blues already, anyone going have a really good time, we sure did. One a last note take a mixture of US Dollors and Dominican Pesos, you get a much better rate here, than in the DR, and if you need to change money while you are out there, go to the plaza, as you will get a much better rate then in the hotel.
Alexandra Harvey from Skelmersdale, Near Liverpool travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with First Choice on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: My mother (63) and I (20) stayed at the Gran Ventana (Spanish for Big Window, apparently!) from the 12th June to the 26th June. We went with First Choice, who are absolutely amazing! They have done so much to make our holiday perfect! We paid extra for their premium flight upgrade… In comparison with Thomas Cook, First Choice offered the best package by far! 3 weeks prior to our departure, I asked First Choice for some help… I was taking some bags of donations for a local orphanage for children with disabilities… the donations consisted on clothes for each child, toys, sweets, medicines etc... First Choice were fantastic, and asked how much extra weight I needed, I said 19kg, they gave me 20! We turned up at Manchester Airport, Terminal 2 at 7:50am, check in was at 8:15am… we were impressed to find a red carpet for premium passengers, with just one person in front of us… the check in lady was very nice and friendly! We were expecting a load of fuss about the charity bags, but she just looked at out letter and said “that’s fine” check in was nice and quick and before we knew it, we were sat in the café waiting for departure! We waited by the gate 1 hour before the flight, as advised and at the gate 20 minutes before the flight. 5 minutes later, we were allowed to board (the premium passengers first… although I can’t see the fuss, as we all had our seats allocated and we were going to be sat on the plane for 9 hours… so I didn’t understand the scowls we got from those in Star Class) Anyway! On board, a very smiley and smart stewardess offered us some champagne and fresh fruit for take off; a very nice extra! The seats were so spacious, I could have happily have sat there for double the flight time! Even in Star Class, the seats looked comfortable! I could have done the flight there for 9 hours without problem! A few minutes into the flight, the cabin crew came round with menus… we could pick 2 options, the first was our first option, the 2nd our reserve option… I said I was a vegetarian, and that was accepted no problem (although I did book my meal) The meals were delivered on china plates! We had the starter and salad first, then the main meals were served… some people complained about this, but I thought it was a nice touch! The tray tables didn’t wobble… only when we had a tiny bit of turbulence, and then we just put one hand on the tray. We had a great selection of films… their in flight entertainment is amazing! In star class, one can upgrade for £5, great especially if they have little’uns. Going out, I saw cheaper by the Dozen II and Catherine Tate… there was even enough space for me to do some college work, so I didn’t have to at the resort! Coming home, we saw Narnia and other short comedies. Although all were available at any time. The arrival at POP airport was smooth, we were let out, and felt the warm air as soon as we left the aircraft. We went straight through immigration (as we had our tourist cards before we went, we contacted the Embassy) so while the others got theirs, we were through immigration, and at the luggage belt. The immigration officers were nice and friendly. The transfer was nice and smooth… My first impression of the hotel was WOW!!! The reception area, and the hotel on the whole, really is 1000000 x better than it looks in the brochure! The check in staff were lovely, and welcoming (Even said I looked young, which got me loving them instantly! Although they were trying to give me a child’s band! After I said my real age, they were fine!) The waitress brought us a lovely fruit punch during check in, while the check in staff gave us our key, along with a ticket to give the bell boys. We did that and pointed out our luggage. We were told where our room was (1134, which I asked for somewhere in Saona, and we were granted with no problem!). Walking along the complex, I felt at home instantly! I normally dread seeing the room for the first time! Well, not this time! We fell in love with the room as soon as the door opened! 10 minutes later, Carlos, the bell boy, came in with our cases, we tipped him $5 and I went to help him with my very heavy case, as he laughed and told me to relax! He then went through our room with us, told us how everything worked, asked if we had any questions. Word of warning… the toilet does fill with water, it’s perfectly normal! We thought it was a fault ‘til we flushed it, and the bathtub is emptied by the little switch on the water level drain thingy (in the upper middle of the tub, if you know what I mean) you flick it down… the maid told us, and was very nice about it. That evening, we were greeted by Bonita at the buffet bar (lovely girl, such a sweet little voice… during our stay, she became a good friend of ours) and Wilton came over to take our drinks orders, he was so friendly as well! Next day, he came up to us, and said “Alexandra, and Sandra” then he covered his name badge and said “what’s my name?” Not expecting us to know! He was shocked when we told him! We also fell in love with Hipolito, who I nicknamed Tetley, as he had a cup of tea ready for us on our table each morning… whenever he saw me at the tea/coffee stand outside the buffet, he’d grab my hair and tell me I drink too much tea and coffee, and need more rum! Anyway, the food is amazing, you’ve got to be amazingly fussy not to like the food there, there’s something for everyone! There’s even chips, Heinz tomato ketchup, some bloke making beef burgers, and someone else cutting a joint of freshly roasted meat! Although I found the Crayfish, fresh salad, mashed green bananas and local vegetables beautiful! Breakfast consisted of waffles, cereal, fresh fruit (I found these pomegranate type things, but they were more sloppy and citric inside, I had 3 each day… and loved them!) They do like their cinnamon here! All 3 a la carte restaurants were brilliant. My mum and I can’t agree on the best one out of all 3! Now… our rep! If you’re lucky enough to have Guy (pronounced Gee) from Canada and Buddy, from the Dominican Republic itself you’re guaranteed the best holiday ever! He even made the welcome meeting fun and informative! Warning us about the Puerto Plata splatter has never been so much fun! So much so that instead of wanting to get into that beautiful big swimming pool, I wanted to listen to Guy’s welcome talk again! He offered as much help as he could with the charity luggage, and when Wayne and his wife from the orphanage came over, I was very sorry that Guy and my mother missed them… but when I came back, I had a massive conversation with Guy and Buddy while we booked our trips to Ocean World, Outback Safari, and Freestyle Catamaran. So if anyone from First Choice is reading this! Give Guy a pay rise! And if anyone in Victoria Hotels is reading this... give all your workers, especially Buddy and the others listed a pay raise! Or if anyone in the entertainment business is reading this, give Guy a contract as a comedian… Buddy and I had a conversation in French as soon as Buddy realised I spoke the language as Guy had taught him, and he desperately wanted to try it out… 5 days later while I was getting coffee, “Bonjour Alexandra!!!” Buddy was right behind me! Trips… Let’s start with Ocean World! Wow!!! We did the Dolphin Encounter, and it was worth every penny, truly a once in a lifetime thing (well, twice for us, as we’re returning next year!) You sit in a small group of about 8. As a dolphin swims slowly past you as you stroke its back and belly, there were 2 dolphins in the encounter, you then pose for a picture with them, and then you kiss them. Then dance with them, then feed them, then pose for another picture. My mum was sceptical about it first, but came along with me… she was as hooked as I was! The lovebirds were also a favourite! The tiger grotto, and not to forget the sea lion show! It was so funny! All animals seemed happy and well looked after. Next was the Outback Safari… our rep Angel was fantastic, fluent English (but he pretended not to be at times, and came out with naughty double innuendos) the Dominican house was well equipped, and thanks to the help from the Outback safari, the people there had happy lives. The small village was poor, but the people were happy. Angel had us singing tequila, and then later, the locals came running after us shouting “tequila” at Angel! I gave a load of school supplies to Angel, as the school was closed for summer, he said he’d deliver them… we were asked not to throw stuff out to the locals, but when we stopped at a river, a child came up to me to ask for money, I was reassured that we were allowed to give these children sweets, as it was not school time… so I came out with a bag of sweets and party favour toys (little plastic puzzles) and the children went mad for them! It was truly a heart warming moment! The catamaran was also brilliant, Orlando, one of our reps, sat with my mum and me and asked me to marry him, have loads of bambinos, and live in Dominican Republic! He was so funny! He also told me to drink Dominican coffee, because I’d tan quicker! The snorkelling was great, and the entertainment and food on the ship was also great! Daytime entertainment: Animation Excellente! Every morning, Spanish lessons with Jimmy! Great fun and very useful! We taught him English as well, although he is so fluent, he could pass for a Londoner. We often had drinks with Jimmy and Raphael during the day and evening entertainment. Jimmy and I decided to be brother and sister! Water aerobics, great fun, but don’t let them trick you into dunking your head underwater! Or doing other… innuendoes! Jimmy and Raphael make a great double act! We also loved Angel, Simon, Jose and Carlos. We met a lovely lady, Denise, in Aerobics, and she and her husband, Dave, really made our holiday… so much so that we’re returning to the GV next year, June 4th, to see them renew their wedding vows. When the match was on, I played water polo with the animation team and the men in the complex… great fun! The swim up bar… we met some lovely Scots there! Jeanette, Loraine, and Rachel. Loraine had a 15 year old son who became like another brother! I’m now helping him with his exams! Jeanette, her daughter, Rachel, and her husband, Dave, are meeting us there again next year to see Denise and Dave. Our favourite barman was Victor… he was lovely, although we also liked Wellington. I am proud to say, that between Denise, Jeanette, Loraine, Rachel, my mum and myself, we worked our way down the cocktail list… my favourites are the banana momma, banana poppa, Sammy Sousa, and Coco Loco. The evening entertainment was, fair enough, not up to much on some nights… but they are improving it. The nights where the animation team worked there were fantastic, including the Mr Gran Ventana, and the Western Show. I didn’t like the magician show… where a balloon was set on fire and a bird flew out… the magician walked a rope and danced to Michael Jackson’s Thriller… after, he told the children not to play with fire… he said nothing about dancing on rope 5 ft high! The fire eater said nothing about not playing with fire, or jumping on a bed of nails, or even eating a light bulb! But, I’d had enough rum and cokes to not let it affect the holiday! I also met up with a lovely girl, Anahushka, please excuse my spelling, she had disabilities, and she really made my holiday, I spent hours playing snooker and table tennis with her. Her level of confidence was enviable. And her 3rd visit this year from England with her mum and Gran says it all! The staff were brilliant with her; although some clientele weren’t as such… but that wasn’t the hotel’s fault! She and I enjoyed the holiday far more than they did! I cried for the duration of the bus journey to the airport when we were going home home when I said goodbye to her and everyone else! We have met some lovely people at this lovely hotel, in this lovely country! Only 320 more sleeps 'til we return to the beautiful Gran Ventana. We're also meeting up with Guy, who said he'll try to be there for Denise and Dave's wedding vows... we hope Buddy and all the others will be there too. They trully made our holiday go from wow to WOW!!!
Miss and Mrs Harvey from Lancashire travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with First Choice on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: *Admin edit this review has been removed as it was posted from Dom Rep. To ensure that our reviews remain unbiased we do not allow posts from the country where the accommodation is situated. Please re-post on your return from holiday. Thanks*
Chris Alden from Fleet, Hants travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Eclipse/First Choice on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: After reading some bad reviews on theis hotel I went with an open mind. Myself and my partner were going on our honeymoon and took our 3yr old daughter with us. All I can say is this place is amazing. The staff can not do enough to help you. They are so kind and friendly its unbelievable. We thought the Greeks were friendly, just wait till you meet the Dominicans. The cleaners were out from 6am right through till about 11 at night. You could not fault the place for cleanliness. The entertainment team worked so hard to keep everyone occupied. They never repeated the same show the whole time we were there. There was singing, dancing, comedy the works. For the kiddies there is a baby pool which was great. The kids club was fantastic and certainly kept Alycia (our little one) entertained. Throughout the day there were different activities going on and then in the evening they had a childrens (mini) disco followed by games. Once a week they had a fashion show and also a childrens lunch. We felt quite relaxed in the knowledge that she was in safe hands. The kids club is open from 9-12 and 2-5. The food was excellent for the kind of place you are in. Remeber they are catering in bulk so do not expect Cordon Bleu catering. I would certainly reccomend this hotel to anyone.
deb & tom from liverpool, UK travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with FIRST CHOICE on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2006
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We just returned form staying at the gran ventana hotel in Puerto Plata, dr. What a fantastic holiday. The hotel was wonderful extremely clean in beautiful surroundings. The food was fabulous plenty of choice, and the a la cart restaurants were great, we weren’t very impressed with the Italian, but that was just personal preference. The staff were extremely friendly especially our cleaning lady Lydia and Joel at the swim up bar. The entertainment crew worked very hard form morning to night, and were happy to leave you alone if you didn’t feel like joining in. The location was good, we were very near to the shopping plaza, and the beach was joined to the hotel. The beach does have a lot of sea weed at times, although this was cleaned away regularly, but it wasn’t too bad directly behind the hotel.
karen from bridlington travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomsons on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: The hotel was fantastic couldnt fault it in any way, it was clean and friendly. The maids never seemed to go home they were always cleaning something. The food was great even the kids enjoyed it and there was plenty to choose from, the waiters were all friendly and could not do enough for you. The beach was only a stone throw away and was clean.
Gloria and Tony from Littlehampton.England. travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with First Choice on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: On arrival our room smelt damp and musty, after returning to reception offered another room no better, so took the first option as my partner was suffering from flu. The bedroom was ok but the bathroom, I could write a book. The floor tiles had no grout in them, a haven for dirt, strange marks like filler or plaster on wall tiles near floor. Even after having the leak in the basin fixed it continued to leak all over the floor. It is stated not to hang towels etc on the balcony there is a clothes line in bathroom, well, it was so dirty I would not have put anything on it. The towel rail and other fixings were all hanging off the wall showing rawlplugs,and if we returned from the beach and showered the sand was still in the bath after the maid had cleaned the following day. Nothing dries because of the humidity, all our clothes in the wardrobe felt damp when we put them on. All other hotel areas they were cleaning constantly and we found the pools to be clean and tidy. The food on arrival was repetitive, improved in the middle of the 14 days and then went down hill again. Food that was in the buffet in the evening appeared in the trays at breakfast the following day,service was hit and miss. Entertainment a non event, but we did meet lots of nice friendly tourists to talk to. We have never been on holiday before and suffered constant bouts of stomach problems like many others. However Ramiro at the quiet pool bar was a star!
Christine & Shay from Cheshunt travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with First Choice on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Hi all, We visited this hotel in March 2004 and had a fantastic time so we're due back there within 3 days of posting this message! Food choice was excellent it catered for everyone, rooms were spacious and the location is ideal and has very good security, we found we could wander into other hotels in the area, but the security checked most people who tried to wander in to Gran Ventana both from main entrance and beach. The staff were very entertaining and would recommend the spanish lessons for 10 mins every morning its fun and useful at the same time! I would definately recommend this hotel to everyone, it caters for all.
Mrs Taylor from West Sussex travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: I would first like to say how much I have enjoyed staying at this hotel that I have been here twice ( 2 years in a row). The maids worked so hard that I don't even think they went home! no matter what time it was they were there! The front of house staff were very helpful even down to us phoning from the UK to request the same room, they bent over backwards for us!!! The food was so good that my Husband put on a stone in 2 weeks both years, the food was always fresh and soooooooo much choice. The waiters remembered what drinks we had each day and always smiled. The Annimation crew were such good fun and I have got all their addresses and have even invited them to UK to stay in our house. As for location what's better than being right on the beach with a sea view???? I would always recommend this hotel to anyone, this is not the only hotel I have stayed at in Playa Dorada so I do know what I am talking about.
Sian Bishop from Ilkeston travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomson on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We travelled from Manchester Airport, flight was long but transfer to Gran Ventana was only 1/2 an hour (after 6 drop offs). Got there at 3pm and from the start everyone was very friendly and helpful. The entertainment staff were very friendly and we enjoyed the evenings fun and we ALL got involved and had a good laugh. The rooms were dated but very clean and the staff ALWAYS left a towel swan with pink flowers on the bed, which was lovely. It was nice to be able to get out of the pool and walk to the beach and the beach sellers (we all called them 'looky looky men' were always there, all you have to do is say no thankyou and they leave you alone. We went to the market up the beach and bartered but you will probably get a better deal in the Plaza. Food was nice, not great but nice. Pool areas were very clean, the reception was lovely and everywhere was presented very well. We all loved this holiday and talked about it for ages and are planning to get married there one day but we are off there this New Year (2007/2008) and would recommend this Hotel to anyone and everyone. FANTASTIC!!!!!!!
karen from essex travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomson on a singles holiday. There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: I visited Gran Ventana this September the hotel was lovely. The staff were very friendly. Entertainment was ok and I would definitely return.
joe from dagenham travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomson on a family holiday. There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Hotel great. Food great, staff great. I'll definitely go back
Nicki Rocks from Manchester travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Manos on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 08 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We have just returned from a dreadful holiday at this hotel. The food was average first week turning into disgusting on the second week, if I ever see another leg of Roast Pork I think I will be sick. The entertainment was hopeless even toddlers don't like the Birdy Song!. However the worst thing about the hotel is the amount of noise you have to put up with and the sleep deprivation that you have to endure. The non stop banging starts at 6.30am when the maids start and goes right through until about 3am when people are still returning to their rooms. If you are unlucky enough to get a room near the main body of the hotel (necessary unless you want to hike about a half mile to your room everyday!)you will have the most un relaxing holiday you will ever experience, so take ear plugs. The "entertainment" team turn the music up full blast at about 3pm everyday playing the same music over and over again. I would not recommend this place to anyone who needs more stimulation than Mr and Mrs competitions and Miss Gran Ventana!. Food poisoning and ear infections were rife amongst other guests and myself and my Fiancé both suffered extreme stomach cramps. The pool was absolutely filthy and even turned green at one point during the week, so the cleaning that people are referring too only really touches the surface.
Roger Riach from Glasgow travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Hayes and Jarvis on a family holiday. There were 4 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: This hotel is really for families with kids, not a couple or older family resort. The rooms were ok but tired. However it is closing for a referb. The hotel was kept clean with maids working very late. Food in all the Al-a-cartes were excellent, I recommend the Stone Bass in the Ocean Grill. The location on the beach is excellent. It is easily on the best section of beach. Take some bread and feed the fish! The entertainment was dreadful, but in honesty not much different from othere hotels. Some of the shows were identical to some we watched last year in a Rui hotel. The day time entertainment lacked thought and always involved music being played very loudly around the pool. The beach or quiet pool is a must. There was a serious lack or loungers at both pools. Fine at the beach. We noticed loungers being booked the night before for the next day. The hotel advised this wasn't aloud but it was completly ignored. Nice hotel with good food and drink. Poor entertaiment and they also would not exchange scottish notes at reception. Other hotels and banks in the resort did. Very poor show on that count.
Iain MacRAE from Milngavie travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with First Choice on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Hotel is located right on the beach. Food is of a very high standard only down side is it is a bit repetitive. The staff are very committed to their jobs and very friendly. Entertainment very very repetitive and child orientated but I didn't go for entertainment. Overall if you want a holiday that revolves around the beach and the sea the Gran Ventana will be hard to beat as the beach and snorkeling ( only 10 foot out in 18 inches of water is amazing) are hard to beat.
dominican republic from playa dorada travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomson on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: The hotel was clean as you looked around they seemed to be cleaning everywhere. But if you looked closer like under your bed etc it was very dirty ie empty pop bottles under my bed witch wasnt left by me. The food was basic and there where times in a day you couldnt get any food or drink because it was a cross over between resturants. There were birds flying about in the eating area which I found disgusting they were landing on tables and eating the food. The hotel staff where useless,the entertaiment was very basic, i would not stay here again there realy is to much to write about and no I would never visit this hotel again!!!
Steve from York travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Very friendly staff, food brill, cleanliness excellent. If you like snorkelling like me, the beach is about the best around. First time all inclusive going back next year cant wait. Tell lucky lucky guys no thanks & they willleave you alone. Best tour is the Puerto Plata booked outside with the tour guides they will ask u for 60$ pay 45$ & tip the guide 5$ it is worth it. Rum factory, fort, Amber museum & the cable car[I hate hieghts but this is something else]. Food in the hotel great, my other half has had a major op not much she can eat but at this hotel never missed a meal, all in all best holiday ever.
Lisa from Manchester travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with First Choice on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 05 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: The hotel was very clean , the staff were committed into keeping all areas clean and tidy . Our room was cleaned every day and towels changed each day , Coming from mostly european beach holidays it was a nice change to see the staff committed to keeping the hotel spotless . Location , Right near the beach and close to the plaza were hemmingways is located which for the younger vistors it is always good to venture out to the local bar. The entertainment staff worked very hard to keep everyone happy and worked long hours , the shows in the evening were very good and also the kareoke seemed to amuse us brits ! The food was good , I have been on an all inclusive before in Crete and the food was basically the same , however there were local dishes to each country , we only visited the Ocean grill A la Carte this is purely because we were only there for a week and the fact that you had to queue for reservations and not telephone made me not want to bother as I didnt want to waste any of my time , the only reason we ate at the Ocean grill is we happened to be having a drink there after relaxing on the beach at reservation time . The ocean Grill was a great change from the buffet resturant and the satff were really nice . I would visit the hotel again , however I dont tend to go to the same place each time I like to vary my holidays .
Lucy & Joe from Leeds travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Hays Travel on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: This hotel is rated 4*+ but it definitely deserves a 5*. The hotel is huge with a very impressive lobby area with chandeliers, water feature, etc. On arrival a bus boy was waiting to take your luggage to your room before you checked in to save you humping it about with you. Check in itself was a very smooth and quick operation, with plenty of staff on reception. As we queued bar staff brought round drinks, a very nice touch, just what you want after a nine and half hour flight. We were given the key to our room and told where to go, we were in the b block near the quiet pool. The room was gorgeous, a huge bed (2 doubles together) with a nice bathroom, sat TV, phone, tea making facilities and a large quiet balcony. The room was cleaned daily with fresh towels and flowers laid in the bathroom each day. The staff were amazing never stopped all day, even when there seemed to be nothing to do they would clean the roads, unbelievable. The food and drink was second to none. We tried all four restaurants and each was superb, ate and drank all day. The 3 al a carte restaurants are well worth visiting, pure luxury! The pool area was gorgeous, v clean and plenty of sun beds for everyone. Although it was very nice we went to the beach most days as it was a stones throw away and complete paradise! White sand, clear sea, coral reefs, palm trees and not forgetting the beach bar. The entertainment staff worked so hard to keep everyone happy, all day long there were activities to do and on a night time there was a show which were all well organised and professional. As me and my boyfriend are only young we would of liked something a little more lively but we knew when booking this type of holiday that it is a relaxed holiday. Everything was amazing, a holiday we will never forget!
Margaret Race from Portsmouth travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a family holiday. There were 4 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 03 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We have just arrived home from a fabulous holiday at the Gran Ventana. The people are great the food wonderful and the whole experience fab. The staff cannot do enough for you. That includes the catering, domestic and entertainments staff. My granddaughter was safe and happy the whole two weeks and she is only 6. We would definitely visit there again.
michelle davenport from west midlands travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with virgin on a couples holiday. There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: All areas of the hotels cleanliness was superb, our room was cleaned daily with fresh towels shaped into a swan placed on the bed, it was air conditioned and had no problems with any insects coming into the room. We had a great choice of food with some thing different to have every day and night. There were 3 fantastic restaurants, sea food by the beach (try the sea bass very nice), Italian and another offering food from the Caribbean cuisine. Your glass is frequently filled with your choice of wine or beverage and the staff there make you feel like royalty. The location of the hotel is central to all you need with shops nearby and connections with many different activities for you to do through out your day, we tried white water rafting (excellent), seeing the waterfalls (beautiful), quading (scary) and I swam with the dolphins at there ocean park. There is a casino and disco nearby which we enjoyed, we were taken there by friendly locals. The hotel staff were the nicest people we could ever want to meet, as it was our second time there we were invited to a VIP cocktail party where we met the hotel manager and were asked about our stay there. One night the security guard actually sang to us so sweet. No one ever bothers you and they can not do enough for you.
karl potts from swindon travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with thomas cook on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2005
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: The complex itself was ok, very clean and the location was excellent, we came out of our room and the beach was only 50 metres away. We were disappointed with the rooms they were quite basic, although I must stress for the money we paid for my wife and 12 year old daughter £1,700 for 2 weeks with premium seats for both legs of the journey, we could not argue!. For the first few days we were quite happy with the food, but then we started to get a litte bit fed up of it, it was the same sort of thing every day, we ate in the beach bar one afternoon, and we were all ill within a couple of hours with sickness and the runs, so we ate out at the local Chinese quite a few times which was excellent! There is also a Tex Mex place in the plaza just down the road. If you like good entertainment on your holiday you will be disapointed, its poor to say the least! We had a large group of Portuguese staying at the hotel, and to be honest most of them were a pain, and took over the bar, they also had their own entertainment in the evenings, which was terrible! The staff were great, I could not believe how poorly they were paid, around about £200 per month, I tipped them every night, and they could not do enough for you. I would not return to the hotel, I felt a little bit confined, the reps did not advise you to go off the resort in the evenings, and there were not many places you could walk to. But as I said before for the money we paid it was a bargain, but if we had have paid full price I would not have been too impressed.
Natalie from Guernsey travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a family holiday. There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 12 2004
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: Hi all well as you can see it hasn’t been long since I have been back form the Dom Rep and from the Gran Ventana Hotel. I’m a 23 year old party animal who went away with my mum and step-dad (who’s new nickname is Tiger Man). I have been to the resort 3 times now and I am going back with my mum in May for 2 weeks. This will be my second time staying at that hotel so that must say how we like it. Since being back home I have kept in contact with staff in the hotel they really do a great job the animation team are the best in the Dom rep. The bar staff are the best you get such a great service you really can't fault the hotel. The food is just, well, put it this way weight watchers are getting their money out of me now. I made many friends in this hotel and I’m going back to see them again. No picture can do the swimming pool justice at all. One thing I would say is if you are going to get a taxi out of the resort be prepared to pay double to what you would normally so what I tended to do was argue the price. Also if you are going on any trips get them from the Mall it's only 5 mins down the road. Also cash any money at the mall because you will get a better rate of exchange. If you have children that will want crisps while you are away I would say pack a wee bag because they cost £5.00 a packet out there. Best night spots if you want to go to a disco or two on resort are Maguv, Hemmingsway Bar and the club down the road from the hotel.
Guy , Debbie ,Vicky ,Robert from Stalybridge travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thomas Cook on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 11 2004
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: I want to visit the resorts people who scored this resort 4 or less ! I realise people have different ideas about the perfect holiday but as far as myself and my family are concerned, holidays don't get any better than this. We've been 4 years in a row (only missed out last year due to wife wanting new car, pfffff )We will be there November this year. Gran Ventana, Dominican Republic............The Undiscovered Jewel Of The Caribbean !
Paul from Lincoln travelled to Gran Ventana Beach Resort with Thompson on a family holiday. There were 2 adults and 1 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 10 2004
rated the Gran Ventana Beach Resort as follows: Cleanliness Location Staff Food Entertainment	said: We found the location in the resort and set up of the hotel ideal,it was clean and the staff were friendly those with children be aware that they try and shove you all into a room with one kingsize bed, once they know you are not having it they move you , it's best to make it clear when checking in. The food and variety was good, we have been on numerous all inclusive holidays and by comparrison it was not bad, the drinks we found were ok--if you wanted a proper glass all you had to do was ask, it was not a problem.the childrens entertainment/club was poor and not up to the standard we usually expect. The only thing for us was that our room overlooked the pool, so we had to endure the dire entertainment like it or not,unless we went to the quiet pool which was as it said. Be wary of porters who put tje bags on coaches and at the airport-they are out to take the mick and try and rip you off, which spoilt things for us really, beware any one getting married here , they made the poor bride walk around the busy pool, playing wedding music over the tannoy, it was chea