This is the 5th All Inclusive resort I've stayed at and was the worst of all. However, the beach was by far the most beautiful of all places I've been to.

The food at the resort wasn't anything great. I would avoid all the al-a-carte restaurants except the Oriental. The food at the restaurants was not great so you're better off eating the buffet every night. The buffet had enough variety but definitely lacked in size compared to all the other all-inclusive resorts I've been to.

The rooms were always clean, ac worked well, and the maid-service was outstanding. The room itself was dated and the beds were very firm. Double size beds were actually extra wide twins so book a room with a King size bed if possible.

Even though it's all-inclusive, everyone demanded tips so that was a huge downfall, especially when tips are included with the price of your stay. And if you don't tip, you get slower service especially at the bar. So plan on spending quite a bit more than what you already paid for.

There weren't a lot of activities to participate in at the resort. The shows were supposed to start at 9:45 pm but realistically didn't start until close to 10:15-10:30pm since the first half hour is an introduction to what the show is about and the show performers.

My opinion - you can get more for your money elsewhere in the Dominican Republic. I would choose a different hotel than the Iberostar complex. I would recommend still going to the Dominican Republic as it was very beautiful and a great culture/atmosphere.

I will start with a bit of background info so that you know where I am coming from when I give my opinion. We traveled as a group of 6. My mother who is 59, my husband and I who are 34 and 37. Our two childre 4 months and 3 years and a daughter of a friend who is 15. Quite a range of ages to please. This was my 5 all-inclusive vacation and I have also been on 2 cruises. We usually stay at family friendly locations like Iberostar, Riu and Bercelo's.

We were very hesitant in taking our little ones to Punta Cana but, our travel agent really urged us to try and we are glad that we did. There really wasn't a time that we felt unsafe or that we regretted bringing our young family.

Food: Everyone in our party enjoyed the food in all of the resteraunts. Something for everyone. There was not a meal that any one of us was unhappy with. Caviar at an all-inclusive? I've never seen this. Lobster 4 times. Very well prepared fish at every meal. Very good desserts. We found that the desserts were very flavorful and not bland and boring like a lot of other all-inclusives we have visited. The gourmet resteraunt was EXCELLENT! We also went to the Japanese and Carribean resturants which were very good too but the Gourmet was EXCELLENT!
The seaside buffet was alright. The food was pretty good but pretty much the same everyday.
The drinks were very weak. I am not a big drinker but I think that my 3 year old could have had them and been fine. The ref. in our room was always stocked nicely but of course not very cold. I think that this just happens with the small refs.

Rooms: We checked in and tipped $50.00 and got 2 jr. suites on the edge of the Bavaro hotel. Same rooms as the Bavaro hotel guests. Nice size and great for families. That said , we did not appreciate the fact that they either had 1 king or 2 double beds. The suites that were on the first floor were 2 double beds only. Who in their right mind wants to cuddle that close with their spouse in 90 degree weather????? not me.... Also, it is important to note that the elevators in the main building for the Dominicana could not fit our double stroller. A single stroller would work fine. We thought the beds were plenty comfortable and that the rooms were kept very clean.

We were disturbed by the people getting out of the disco at 3 AM yelling and screaming and chanting and swearing and fighting. This happened 4 nights of our vacation. The first night it happened it lasted for at least an hour and had everyone in our party awake. The "securiuty" dd nothing but stand there. It may or may not be important to note that people causing the disturbance were obviously not American. I was very frustrated that in the US, these people would have been cuffed and sent to jail for the night with a heafty fine. Rediculous! They weren't even kicked out of the hotel complex because they were there again and agian. I was not impressed. When I called the desk I was told that security was doing their best. They did nothing.

Beach: Wonderful, beautiful, fun etc!!!!!!! Plenty of chairs and palapas. We all loved it! Yes, lots of topless which my dorky husband found to be a great bonus.

Pools: The pools are very nice. Most of the pool was 5 foot plus in depth. We treaded a lot of water. Bring air-mattress. Yes, very slippery entries. My daughter did well with water shoes. The children's wading pool was very fun for my daughter. There are plenty of chairs with and without shade around the pool area. There were people who saved chairs with towels. We would go down before breakfast and drop off our stuff and we always found a good spot. We did miss having a swim-up bar.

The hotel was at capacity and it showed. There were too many people for us but it was a really nice resort. I would recommend it for families. It is not 5 star but we knew that going in and it did suit the needs of our vacation.

Hope this helps!

Lets get one thing straight: in the dominican republic, they certainly know how to treat tourists as tourism is such an important part of the economy. The people in general are very friendly and happy (why wouldnt you be in such a beautiful country!), and very willing to help.

The resort was excellent. It was the right location for us. Punta cana is on the east side of the island, actually on the atlantic ocean side, which offers some good points, for instance there are waves, and a constant sea breeze, meaning you can actually keep relatively comfortable in the heat when sunbathing. We visited the caribbean sea on the south of the island on an excursion, even thought it was beautiful and the sea seemed warmer - it would have been more uncomfortable to sit in the sun, and the lack of breeze would have made the humid and warm part of the island and ideal mosquito area. in any case, the sea remains at swimming pool temperature in the mornings, upto warm bath temperature in the afternoon.

We were on a two week all inclusive: the food and drink were excellent, in my opinion the meat was slightly over-cooked i.e. not rare or medium, but the seafood was ALWAYS fresh and delicious. there was an excellent range of foods, and you would have no trouble eating as a vegetarian or anything else. The buffet was extensive and varied. We have been on all inclusives before and by the 10th day the buffet was beginning to get repetitive, but this was not the case at the iberostar dominicana.

On the grounds there is a casino, a cigar rolling shop where you can pick up some fantastic dominican cigars, and the general everyday needs such as pharmacy, shop, bank, restaurants, bars are open everyday and on the grounds, with english speaking staff.

the excursions were excellent, and well priced, i would recommend snorkling in the coral reefs, where you eat bbq on the beach, and get the chance to swim with puffer fish, rays, sharks, etc. this was a very interactive experience in terms of touching fish and plants, and i would recommend anyone to see the reefs before they all disappear!

season wise, july through to august is high summer, and winter is only a few degrees cooler than in summer. it does rain occasionally, but only for a few minutes at a time, and is usually welcome! so a rainy morning doesnt ruin a whole day.

because the dominican republic is so close to the equator, the days start early, say 6am you have sunrise, and you have 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of night, so by 6.30pm it is dark. this sets a nice pace for the holiday as you get a lot of relaxation time in the evenings, which are obviously cooler, but be prepared to start the day early if you want to catch maximum sun!

having said that, regularly they offer champagne at this time in the morning on the way to breakfast, which was a real luxury.

we had no serious problems in terms of health, apart from a little underprotection from the sun one day, and a little stomach upset after i ate far too much sugar cane. i would recommend stocking up on suntan lotions before you get there and get surplus aftersun! as the shop sells international brands of lotions, but also at international prices.

i would rate this resort in terms of accommodation, food, location, amenities as 4star+. all the staff were very helpful and friendly and we had no major problems. i would definately recommend this resort to any party, young couples like we were, families, older couples, larger parties. the grounds are big enough to accommodate all, and the atmosphere is always very relaxed.

any questions: stas.kuba@gmail.com

A group of 8 of us stayed in the Dominicana from July 14 to July 28, joined by another 6 on July 17. In addition another 6 came on July 17 staying in the Bavaro. Ages ranged from 14 to 56. The 8 of us had an unfortunate start in that we were delayed for 12 and a half hours at Gatwick and eventually flew out on a Tristar charted from the Portugese airline LuzAir - not the best way to travel!! However, this did not spoil our holiday.All 20 of us could not speak highly enough about this resort.. The adults were able to relax and the younger members could do their own thing with a Rock Cafe and night club and very good entertainments team.

The rooms, gardens, pool and especially the beach made for a fantastic experience. The food was very good with plenty of choice and availability. The beach was just awesome, best I have ever seen. The staff were so friendly and helpful and couldn't be faulted - even with sweat dripping down their faces the bar staff were still smiling and joking. The beach bar was a must at any time of the day, situated right on the beach!! I found the beer and the spirits more than acceptable.

I was a bit worried about the weather before I left, several different forecasts talked about rain and thunderstorms every day but how wrong they were. For 14 days we had clear blue skies and temperatures above 35C , very, very, hot. There were a few torrential downpours during the night. You have to be careful in these temperatures because on the beach there was always a nice onshore breeze. I burnt the first day and had to be very careful in the sun each day between midday and 2pm. The beach was and is mind blowing and allowed for endless walks in both directions. The sea was lovely, fresh to get in because of the breeze but very warm once your in. The sea was very clear and had lovely turquoise blue colous. We spent most of our time on the beach. My wife spent endless hours snorkellig just off the beach and was able to see lots of coloured tropical fish.

The restaurants were good and the Steak restaurant was superb, we went there twice. I don't understand people saying they couldn't book up these restaurants - 3 days before leaving we booked the steak house for 14 - no problems and yet both hotels were full!!

Our friends in the Bavaro spent a lot of their time with us at the Dominicana - as stated previously the Bavaro is a lot quieter and the Dominicana is busier and at the centre of things.

The only slightly negative points I have is that the beach bar closed at 11pm - a bit early - and you needed to be up early to get a palapa/shade on the beach - 6.30 to 7am. However, there were always plenty of beach chairs available. The beach bar was nice in the evenings with the breeze. It does take a few days to feel comfortable evening time because of the humidity.

Most evenings we visited the Casino - good fun even just watching and air conditioned! I didn't see much of the entertainment but those that did said it was good. Very nce bar called the Piano bar next door in the Punta Cana.

We went on the Saona island trip - a very good all day trip and worth every penny - the island is very idyllic. Mind you the 2 hour bus ride each way is like a roller coaster ride - pot holes and bumps everywhere - not much chance of a nap! Some of our younger party thoroughly enjoyed the speed boat trips.

As I said earlier a superb holiday - best for us yet. Suoerb location, ecellent layout and beach and a very friendly people. Certainly better than Cuba and Mexico. How anyone could not enjoy this place is beyond me - perhaps they shouldn't be holidaying in this part of the world! I would certainly return and probably will. I would reccomment this hotel to anyone!