| Holiday-Truth Readers Reports |
keith , jennie, lee + friends from oxted surrey travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
1st choice
on a friends holiday.
There were 4 adults and 2 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 04 2008 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location | | | Staff |  | | Food | | |
| Entertainment |  |
| said: Just returned from 2 weeks all inclusive and not a patch on the playa pesquero in Cuba same time last year. Food in the buffets was excellent and varied and 6 ala cartes we visited were spot on.
The pool on the beach was very busy and noisy however the pool by our room was really good, complex block 15.
However if your unlucky as we were you get put in block 32 (next to the building site-new complex for couples at gbp)we were lucky it was a changeover day and got moved
Not much for kids to do, no real entertainment team and no games rooms although crazy golf was good.
Bus takes you from one end of hotel to other which is a
good service although complex itself is too vast.
Didn't find the staff over friendly unlike the Cubans other than Elva on reception.
Maybe not a bad place for couples but still too busy and only really just about warrants being a 4 star at best.
Click here for more information on this hotel, resort and region
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Dave Edwards from Cardiff travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
Eclipse Direct(First Choice)
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2008 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness |  | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Going to split this review into 2 parts, first , general comments about the whole holiday, then specific comments about bars, restaurants, beach, pools etc.
Flew out to Punta Cana mid February for two weeks.
On arrival at the airport we were pleasantly surprised by the speed we got thru' Immigration altho' we had quite a long wait for our suitcases. First moan, the usual problem with "porters" - we found a trolley but were prevented from taking it out of the airport to the car park by a group of porters with their own trolleys.
I refused to be blackmailed on principle and was proved right when we only had about 50m to walk to the coach.
Once on the coach we had a relatively painless journey to the GBP Punta Cana with check in being carried out on the bus (there was however a confusion over another party with the same surname which came back to haunt us later).
No issues on arrival, porter was ready and waiting to transport us and our suitcases straight to our room - 12301 - located conveniently near to the pool, with a balcony looking out over the wilderness area between GBP & the neighbouring RUI complex.
The following morning we had a pleasant walk back to the reception area for breakfast and our Reps meeting (the Rep for First Choice was really on the ball and the meeting was much snappier and entertaining than normal!)
I then organised a room safe - bit surprised that I had to pay up front (GBP Mayan only wanted paying at the end of the holiday) - but well worth having.
Whilst at Reception noticed loads of offers to upgrade to another hotel for free for periods of up to 5 days - we decided to investigate further with a view to maybe looking at another part of the DR but (unfortunately) we decided to sleep on it!
The following day we went back to try to arrange an upgrade with Guest Services but unfortunately the only offers still available were for 1 night only - however as the upgrade to GBP Cayo Levantado included a free whale watching trip we decided to go for it!
We actually had to check out and put any luggage that we didn't want to take into a "secure" storage area, which wasn't as anyone could walk in when the porters had it open!I will review this trip under the GBP Cayo Levantado review section.
On our return to Punta Cana we were given a complimentary upgrade to the Amber section - again the porter was on the ball getting us and our luggage across to our new room - 62201, nicely positioned between the beach and the main bar/buffet areas.
The room was a little musty due to a problem they had obviously had with water leaking from the balcony above which had resulted in some of the ceiling paint peeling off but we decided we could live with it.
I went to use the "complimentary" room safe but couldn't get it to work. Now, my second moan, it apparently needed a small key to activate the touch pad electronics which we should have been given on our second check in but hadn't.
I spent about 3 hours and several journeys on the site trams travelling between the Amber reception and the main reception at Punta Cana trying to get this key, both sets of Reception staff denying responsibility and fobbing me off. They even wanted a second lot of money! Finally got it sorted when a "manager" got involved.
At the end of the first week we got back from the beach to find that our room keys weren't working - the maid had to let us in. Went to reception who looked puzzled but just reactivated the keys for our actual leaving date.
The following morning we found a note pushed under our door asking me to contact the Reception manager urgently about our departure arrangements - again a couple of tram rides ensued before I saw the Main Reception manager who explained that the confusion over surnames on the original bus ride from the airport, had led to us only being booked in for a WEEK! but he quickly resolved the issue.
At the end of the two weeks departure was painless - porters were well organised and got us back to the pick up point and the coach journey and check in were smooth prior to a good flight back to the UK; Only issue was a non working toilet on our side of the aircraft which meant a long detour from our seats.
Now to specifics:
FOOD - Buffet at Punta Cana was OK but the buffet at the Amber was distinctly better particularly the freshly cooked fish and meats area and the sweets were to die for!
A LA CARTE - We visited 5 a la cartes over the 2 weeks.
Best we tried was the fish restaurant,El Pescador, my wife really enjoyed that one. Excellent food and service.
El Charro (Mexican) was also very good with some excellent fajitas, and entertaining staff.
The Italian, Porto Fino, was also very good although we felt that we were rushed thru a bit.
The worst of the a la cartes we visited was the Garden Grill, simply because the steak I had was very tough, although the service was excellent and my wife was happy with her "Shrimp kebab".
SNACK BARS - Generally OK for breakfast/lunch - very crowded before 1:30pm but much better after 2:00pm
BARS - We found generally excellent service at all the bars, whether you waved a $$ bill or not; the main bar at the Punta Cana was our favourite. You sometimes had to wait at the pool bars particularly the second week when it was extremely busy.
Definitely worth taking insulated mugs as it reduced the number or trips needed to the bar!
POOLS - Clean but extremely crowded - the second week people were "reserving " sunbeds with shades before it was even light - we didn't spend much time by the pools usually only after 4:00pm.
BEACH - Beautiful golden sand BUT very crowded - all sun loungers with shade gone by 10:00am and very difficult to get beds after 11:00am.
SEA - Clean - some weed made worse by the wind we experienced most of the 2 weeks; lovely to swim in, shelving quite rapidly; snorkeling from the beach non-existent - apparently anything of a decent size is taken by the spear fishermen.
WEATHER - Rained quite heavily the first two days in the morning but otherwise not much rain. Wind was blowing quite strongly some days which kept you cool on the beach but made the danger of sunburn very real. Also had some cloudy days, particularly a couple of afternoons.
In conclusion, had a good holiday but wouldn't go back to this hotel/region because of the sheer number of people.
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Zabka from UK/CR travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
First Choice
on a family holiday.
There were 3 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2008 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: We arrived in Bahia PC and were given room key immediately. I paid $ 32.00 for the safe and we were taken to our room in building 16 which is very close to reception. After arrival I discovered that our safe was not working so I called the reception. It took 3 attempts for anybody to answer, they transferred me to somebody else, then to somebody else and after speaking to three people I was told that somebody will look into it. After about 10 minutes maintenance guy came and within 5 minutes our safe was working.
Even that the hotel is huge we didn’t mind it because the layout of each building is very good. The grounds are immaculate and we enjoy the walk from our room to the beach on the quiet ‘side road’.
We booked 3 ala carte on our first day. Our favourite was Gourmet restaurant. Japanese restaurant was fun and Seafood was good too. The buffet every day was great with good choice.
It was 3 of us staying in one room but we only had two towels. I left a note in Spanish for our maid to give us 3 towels as three people are staying there and we got it the next day, which was great but even after this note we only had 2 cups and 1 glass between us. Our minibar was filled nearly every day. Some of the towels provided are with holes.
There is plenty of lounges on the beach and we never had trouble to find any. If you want to do any shopping then walk 40 minutes right on the beach and you will get to a small market where you can bargain for souvenirs. If you want to find peace of beach to yourself then walk 40 minutes to the left where there are no hotels and we were nearly the only people there.
Beware of the lobby shop in PC side! There is shop assistant called Maritza – oh boy she is unfriendly. If you need anything walk rather to the Bahia side where the shop assistants were friendlier.
Some waiting staff in the Lobby bar can ignore you so you might have to wait a long time or it might be easier to walk to the bar and get drinks yourself.
The bar staff by the swimming pool (by villa 16) were all very friendly and helpful!
We did two excursions – Saona Island and Outback Safari, both were great and I would recommend them.
Other points:
Be aware of the immigration procedures in Punta Cana airport. After arriving I paid with $100.00 bill for 3 of us and got $70.00 back and the person behind the desk started to deal with people behind me. I know it was silly from me to walk from him to the passport officer but I didn’t know that I have to get some small paper from the person you pay $10.00 to. When I handed my passport I was asked for the ‘voucher’ which I didn’t get. I had to go back, the person ‘obviously’ didn’t remember me that I handed him $100.00 bill 30 seconds before that (we were nearly the last people off the plane so there was very few people), he had to call his manager, they made me feel like I lied about paying, they had to close the till and count all the money – by this time there was already around 5 airport employees standing around me! It took 15 minutes to resolve this!!! It upset us very much.
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Mark Goodyear from Shifnal Shropshire travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
first Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 07 2007 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Went to the Grand Bahia Principe Punta cana last week in July /First week of August 07. This is the first time we have used the "Bahia Principe" group which are spanish owned .we have previuosly visited the RUI group and stopped at the same resort 4 years ago on Honeymoon (RUI Bavaro)
We went A/I and despite the food scare at another Bahia resort in the news when we returned, i can say this is the best A/I food we have had. the standard was first class and the choice was excellent.
The Hotel is very well kept with the staff working really hard to please, they really do apprecaite the odd coke when they are doing the gardens etc. they are not pushy for tips which we found very refreshing you only give if or when you want to.
the hotel is situated on a massive complex which you share with the Grand Bahia Principe "bavaro"...both sides of the complex mirror each other in everything even buffett resturant lay out ..so if you stop "one side" or the other its exactly the same.
A small train takes you around the complex which is very easy to catch. A couple of things to bear in mind...
The English are the minority...ie a lot of mexicans canadians etc and the complex is therefore more geared around the spanish speaking, which if you apprecaite before you go is no problem what so ever -I just wish that i had learnt spanish at school!
The rooms as detailed before are large and spacious with an "american size " bed..ie a very large double and the minibar is stocked with coke fanta beer etc (no spirits) a dollar tip will see your fridge stocked with more diet pepsi that fanata , more beer etc.
Everyone wears the obligatory wrist band...here is the only "criticism" i would make ...the Silver/Gold people ..ie upgrade get the inclusive use of particular pools...and security strictly monitor this (much to my wifes annoyance) but those guests can use anyones pool on the site ...no one told us this before we arrived and it was never made clear by First choice ...however sunbeds at the "standard" pool were never an issue (albeit drop your towel-hotel supplied- on your sunbed as you stroll to breakfast...if you try to find a bed about 11am having not done this then you struggle -as we found before following suit )
there are x2 pools the standard guest can use...these are plenty big enough with excellent small "safe "pools for small children (guard railed off)
the beach is at the bottom of the resort very clean loads of sunbeds available, white sand ,very warm sea, and you look out over a shipwrecked tanker (go and see what i mean!!) Palm trees etc and no hassle from the local beach traders, they just plonk themselves on a lounger and you go to them if you want to !
another tip is if you turn RIGHT at the beach(having come off the complex) visit the RUI groups shop complex which offers a bit more choice than the Punta cana "square" eg chemists supermarket type shops etc
My other major tip is that you can book the "alacarte" resturanst when you land as a standard guest ..you can go x6 times...book these with the hotel "guest services" within your first few days they are very busy and get booked up quickly but well worth the visit and make a break from the buffett resturant...by the way Gents...x3 quarter trousers + t shirts are perfectly acceptable in the buffet resturant in the evening ...despite what the brochure etc may say
Entertainment is what you would expect a reasonable standard that is repeated second week but never the less worth the effort to watch ..the team out there really do try v v hard and it shows by the standard of the shows.
in terms of the "rep" on site at the hotel, Helen (first choice) now has her home in the Dominican, speaks spanish and is very switched on..i would recommend going to her with any concerns ASAP and they are soon sorted
i do read holiday reports before i book on this site (much to my wifes frustration) so i have been objective as possible for you, so would i go again -yes
Would i recommend the Hotel to you - Yes,
Do i think it was worth it ie monetary value - yes !
In summary well worth a visit, has the edge on the RUI group in bavaro and offers great value for money...just be aware that it is very very hot...i still burnt with factor 50 and im used to the sun !
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karl from notts travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2007 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Fantastic all inclusive resort. All suite hotel with whirlpool bath, mini bar in room, restocked daily with water, soft drinks & beer. This resort is spotless everywhere you go, even on the beach. Excellent choice of food (best we have ever had on A/I). Service is really top notch! & staff are so friendly. Great entertainment plaza on the resort which is located away from the accomadation. As well as shops there is a karaoke bar, disco, nightclub which is open til 4am, internet cafe, casino & large outdoor theatre with live shows every night! Felt very safe here & had a fab time!
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James Nixon from Paisley travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
Sunwing
on a friends holiday.
There were more than 6 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 01 2007 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: The hotel room was large and had a Jacuzzi tub, however there is only a half glass and showering results in a really wet floor since it spashes everywhere. The fridge in the room isn’t very cold, but we didn’t have a lot of use for it since the pool bar was only about 50 paces away. They have American 120V plugs in case you want to bring any electronics. The room we had featured an enormous bed…bigger than King likely. There was also a couch and table with a few chairs. The overall rating of the room is excellent.
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donna and james from cornwall travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
airtours
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2006 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Went to the Gran Bahia principe for our honeymoon in September 2006 and what can I say we really enjoyed it.
The cleanliness of the whole site was outstanding,even the beach always had someone walking up and down checking for rubbish.
The food in the buffet restaurants was always brilliant, the restaurant was always clean.
The location of the hotel was abit out of the way but you needn't worry because there is plenty to do on the resort especially if you like sun bathing.
The staff hardly speak English but they try very hard to make you feel welcome.
The entertainment was very impressive because most of it is done by the staff that work during the day at the pool bars and restaurants, don't know how they find the time to do it.
All in all we would definately go back to the Gran Bahia principe.
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Tom from Huntingdon travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana 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 Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: I can agree with the previous reviews of this hotel. It's spread out over a large area of land but there are trains running the length of the resort every couple of minutes which you hop on and off at your will.
The guest rooms are in low rise blocks no more than three stories high which helps with the feel of space. Also the rooms themselves are massive and you get a whirlpool bath in each.
The pools are modern and all have swim up bars - 4 in total. Also you are able to lay in the shallows as they gently slope. You will need to as the sun is very hot. We were burning with factor 25 on.
The food was the best I've had on an AI holiday in terms of freshness and choice. The resort was clean and the staff were always pleased to help.
Friends of ours were staying at the Riu Palace Macau so I am able to make a direct comparison between the two hotels.
Thomson were charging around £300 more for a weeks stay at the Riu than at the Principe. The Principe is much better in every way. The Riu seems very dated - the rooms, the pool, the layout of the resort. (The air conditioning at the Riu was non-existent in the guest rooms we visited). We also ate and drank for a day at the Riu. The food is much better at the Principe as is the service - we were waiting an age at the Riu.
In short I thoroughly recommend the Principe but not advise people to stay at the Riu. I'd put the Riu at 3.5 to 4 stars and the Principe around 4.5 stars.
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Mr & Mrs Allen from Wigan travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
First Choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 06 2006 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Excellent Hotel & Holiday overall!! We went for a 2 week all inclusive holiday to the Gran Bahia Punta Cana as it was recommended to us by a friend.
When we got there it was about 5pm, there was still plenty of food at the snack bar near the main pool, the pool was lovely and warm, just what you need after a nine hour flight.
We couldn't fault the hotel for cleanliness. The rooms and gardens are well maintained, as is the lobby area of the hotel which is an excellent place to relax with drinks or afternoon coffee and cakes.
The hotel entertainment was very good. With various shows in both the entertainment stages (one inside and one outside in the plaza). The plaza had many shops and stalls selling goods where you can haggle for gifts etc. The staff were always friendly. We enjoyed the piano bar the most.
As a fussy eater myself i was apprehensive at going to an all inclusive resort. I had nothing to worry about as the food was excellent. Breakfast, dinner, tea .... There was always something different on offer. There are also al a carte resterants on site which are also of excellent standard.
The beach was also of good standard but we spent most of our time round the various pools as we were more enticed by the pool bars, jacuzzi's etc. Try to get a parasol if you can. I tan very easily but on the 2nd or 3rd day i burned even though i was wearing factor 20 sun cream. I had to buy some factor 70 from the shop and it was quite expensive (£20 approx for a small bottle)
This was the best holiday that we have been on, and on our return home we booked our holiday to the Gran Bahia Punta Cana for the following year.
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andy from liverpool travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 02 2006 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Hotel was spot on and absolutely massive but there's never a feeling of it being overcrowded. cleanliness of the hotel was faultless and you constantly see hotel staff cleaning, whether it be the floor or the ashtrays.
Food was plentiful, fresh and delicious. Location on the beach is great because if you turn left or right on the beach you can go on some great walks.
We found taking a left on the beach the best as a 45 minute walk would eventually take you past super club breezes and to a section of beach with no hotels that just goes on for miles and the waves here are a lot more lively.
Hotel staff are all so friendly and will try and help you out whenever they can. entertainment was great and had a good variety. We wold love to go back to this hotel again one day.
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Brendan from Manchester travelled to Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana with
first choice
on a couples holiday.
There were 2 adults and 0 child(ren) in the party. The travel date was 09 2005 |
rated the Gran Bahia Principe Punta Cana as follows:| Cleanliness | | | Location | | | Staff | | | Food | | |
| Entertainment | |
| said: Me and my wife went last year, had a great time.
Food was great, hotel clean, staff friendly. Plenty to do, weather was good very, very, very hot be warned.
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