Your rating of this hotel:
6.0
from 10
Hotel ratings by criteria:
Rooms:
6.0
Service:
5.0
Cleanliness:
6.0
Food:
5.0
Amenities:
5.0
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
January 2012
Occidental Grand Punta Cana 4*
1. The first surprise is the airport. We walked from the plane to the airport building (Punta Cana International Airport) - this applies to all arriving and departing passengers. We were greeted with music, everything went very lively! ! ! Airport fee - $ 10 per person for the construction of waste processing plants, which were never built. At departure - $ 20, the airport fee was the same, but they didn’t take it from us (it seems that the airline with which we flew paid for it).
2. It takes 20-25 minutes to get to the hotel, our hotel was the last one - so we got there in 40 minutes. In the Occidental Grand Punta Cana we were only 2 people (we noticed that there were very few Russians in the hotel - something pleased us! ). The move in went very quickly.
3. As we found out later, we were very lucky, because we were settled in the 24th building (usually Russians are settled in the 22nd, which is not ICE at all ! ! )
4. The beach is good. You will not see the Atlantic Ocean calm, there are always waves (BEAUTY INDESCRIBABLE).
Algae washed ashore every day, but near our hotel they were always removed. Warm water.
5. On the beach you can take a picture with colored or white parrots, with a lemon python, a monkey (price $ 10 - per photo).
6. By the way, if you walk along the beach to the left of the hotel for 15-20 minutes, you will see a beach market where you can buy souvenirs. In general, in the Dominican Republic, souvenirs are very tight, the choice is not great. Photo frames can be bought for 8-15$, magnets 2-3$ (on the beach! ! In stores 8-10$), shells 10-20.9 but they are not dried - they smell, although they can be freely taken out of the country), pareo 10 -20$, t-shirts 8-20$ (very musty on the beach - should be washed immediately). Alcohol, cigars, coffee are better to buy in COLUMBUS PLAZA. Keep in mind, in Duty Free everything is much EXPENSIVE! ! ! (1.5-2 times. Here is such an oddity).
7. Animation in the hotel at - 3, focused on Americans. Contests - like we have at weddings. Although once there was a magician and a singer with a dance group.
The hotel rests mostly Americans, Canadians, French, fewer Spaniards and almost no Russians.
8. There is nowhere to walk outside the hotel! It makes no sense to take a car, because there is nowhere to go.
9. We took an excursion: "NON-LAST HERO" for 2 days. Guide-Tatyana, tells a lot about the country, customs, people. Price $ 360 - for 1 person. We visited the venues of the show of the first channel - "The Last Hero": a cave where a tribal council was held; the island where the stars of our show business wrote the word "SOS"; Bacardi Island, which used to be empty and now has a hotel built on half of it.
We spent the night at the Paraiso Cano Hondo eco-hotel, which is one of the 10 best eco-hotels in the world according to Forbs magazine (located on the East Coast of the Dominican Republic, along Samana Bay, in Los Haitises National Park (National Park). The park is the most important ecological and cultural reserve of the country.
This small Eco - Hotel offers a unique unity with nature, as well as picturesque surroundings, 12 waterfalls with crystal clear water).
We watched the island of birds, visited the caves with drawings of the Taino Indians. Humpback Whales were observed in the ocean in January-February, they come to give birth to small 1-ton whales and to breed.
10. We went on an excursion "VDV - SAFARI". Conducted by Russian-speaking Cuban Harold and excellent Russian-speaking Haitian Santi (better known as Shurik from Ivanovo). Price $115 - per person. An excursion for those who love extreme sports and are not afraid to get their clothes dirty and laugh (the last one is guaranteed! )
11. They also took "SUPER SANTO DOMINGO" - $ 130 per person (Vip group). Conducted by Cuban Lazaro Couto. It takes about 4 hours to get to the capital of the Dominican Republic, but there were 2 stops - a tobacco factory and a national cave + the guide talked incessantly about the country and answered all the questions of 14 people.
Therefore, we reached Santo Domingo with ease. We looked at the Columbus lighthouse, visited it inside, dined in a cave restaurant, visited the house of Bartalomeo Columbus (brother of Christopher Columbus), walked along the first street of America, visited the first Catholic cathedral in America and much more.
12. The country is very, very dirty. Only hotels are clean! !
13. The Occidental Grand Punta Cana has a very Americanized cuisine (in our opinion). Basins carry french fries, ketchup, mayonnaise, cutlets for hamburgers.
14. Alcohol is not counterfeited! You can drink and buy without fear. By the way, the rum flows like water in the hotel, very generously. Prices in "Columbus Plaza" for alcohol from $ 5-130 per bottle, depending on the volume and the number of years of exposure. "Brugal 151" - 75 degrees. It costs $15.
15. The hotel does not have Russian-speaking staff. They only know a few phrases. The room was cleaned regularly (on - 4); The bar in the room was replenished regularly.
16. Clothes dry for a very long time; the big problem is the 110 volt network.
You need to buy the adapter yourself ($ 3 in the hotel store), the equipment takes a very long time to charge. There is one Russian channel - TVCI.
17. There are not enough sun loungers for everyone on the beach and by the pool. If you do not take at 7.00 in the morning, you will lie on the sand or on the grass by the pool.
18. In the price lists they write - a free ride on horseback. There is no such thing - do not wait! Non-motorized water activities - also for a fee!
19. On the beach you can play volleyball, aerobics and teach local dances, tennis, etc. - FREE!
20. Be sure to put on a cream - sun protection, because in the Dominican Republic it is specific, not the same as in Asian countries - it is not noticeable how you burn (a constant breeze blows and the body cools down).
21. The Atlantic Ocean is very beautiful. You can fly along the coast in a helicopter. Approximate prices: $129 - 1 person (15min); 319$ - 1 person (40min). Hot air balloon flight 1 person - $285. Wedding ceremonies from $1350 – $2975.
22. Hotel guide - lethargic. Completely does not convey information on excursions, hotel, etc. (PEGAS).
When we flew back, we talked to other tourists from different hotels - EVERYONE complains about this problem.
23. Excursions, as you understand, are all very expensive. They refer to the high cost of fuel - this is not entirely true. (1 liter of petrol ~ $1.7), more expensive in Europe; stupidly expensive excursions.
24. Guides immediately warn that the rooms are stolen. It is better to close everything of value in suitcases with a combination lock, and not in a safe.
25. Direct flight from Yekaterinburg - fly 14 hours. The time difference is 10 hours. (if in Yekaterinburg - 20.00, then in the Dominican Republic - 10.00 in the morning of the same day).
January 2012
Occidental Grand Punta Cana 4*
1. The first surprise is the airport. We walked from the plane to the airport building (Punta Cana International Airport) - this applies to all arriving and departing passengers. We were greeted with music, everything went very lively! ! ! Airport fee - $ 10 per person for the construction of waste processing plants, which were never built. At departure - $ 20, the airport fee was the same, but they didn’t take it from us (it seems that the airline with which we flew paid for it).
2. It takes 20-25 minutes to get to the hotel, our hotel was the last one - so we got there in 40 minutes. In the Occidental Grand Punta Cana we were only 2 people (we noticed that there were very few Russians in the hotel - something pleased us! ). The move in went very quickly.
3. As we found out later, we were very lucky, because we were settled in the 24th building (usually Russians are settled in the 22nd, which is not ICE at all ! ! )
4. The beach is good. You will not see the Atlantic Ocean calm, there are always waves (BEAUTY INDESCRIBABLE).
Algae washed ashore every day, but near our hotel they were always removed. Warm water.
5. On the beach you can take a picture with colored or white parrots, with a lemon python, a monkey (price $ 10 - per photo).
6. By the way, if you walk along the beach to the left of the hotel for 15-20 minutes, you will see a beach market where you can buy souvenirs. In general, in the Dominican Republic, souvenirs are very tight, the choice is not great. Photo frames can be bought for 8-15$, magnets 2-3$ (on the beach! ! In stores 8-10$), shells 10-20.9 but they are not dried - they smell, although they can be freely taken out of the country), pareo 10 -20$, t-shirts 8-20$ (very musty on the beach - should be washed immediately). Alcohol, cigars, coffee are better to buy in COLUMBUS PLAZA. Keep in mind, in Duty Free everything is much EXPENSIVE! ! ! (1.5-2 times. Here is such an oddity).
7. Animation in the hotel at - 3, focused on Americans. Contests - like we have at weddings. Although once there was a magician and a singer with a dance group.
The hotel rests mostly Americans, Canadians, French, fewer Spaniards and almost no Russians.
8. There is nowhere to walk outside the hotel! It makes no sense to take a car, because there is nowhere to go.
9. We took an excursion: "NON-LAST HERO" for 2 days. Guide-Tatyana, tells a lot about the country, customs, people. Price $ 360 - for 1 person. We visited the venues of the show of the first channel - "The Last Hero": a cave where a tribal council was held; the island where the stars of our show business wrote the word "SOS"; Bacardi Island, which used to be empty and now has a hotel built on half of it.
We spent the night at the Paraiso Cano Hondo eco-hotel, which is one of the 10 best eco-hotels in the world according to Forbs magazine (located on the East Coast of the Dominican Republic, along Samana Bay, in Los Haitises National Park (National Park). The park is the most important ecological and cultural reserve of the country.
This small Eco - Hotel offers a unique unity with nature, as well as picturesque surroundings, 12 waterfalls with crystal clear water).
We watched the island of birds, visited the caves with drawings of the Taino Indians. Humpback Whales were observed in the ocean in January-February, they come to give birth to small 1-ton whales and to breed.
10. We went on an excursion "VDV - SAFARI". Conducted by Russian-speaking Cuban Harold and excellent Russian-speaking Haitian Santi (better known as Shurik from Ivanovo). Price $115 - per person. An excursion for those who love extreme sports and are not afraid to get their clothes dirty and laugh (the last one is guaranteed! )
11. They also took "SUPER SANTO DOMINGO" - $ 130 per person (Vip group). Conducted by Cuban Lazaro Couto. It takes about 4 hours to get to the capital of the Dominican Republic, but there were 2 stops - a tobacco factory and a national cave + the guide talked incessantly about the country and answered all the questions of 14 people.
Therefore, we reached Santo Domingo with ease. We looked at the Columbus lighthouse, visited it inside, dined in a cave restaurant, visited the house of Bartalomeo Columbus (brother of Christopher Columbus), walked along the first street of America, visited the first Catholic cathedral in America and much more.
12. The country is very, very dirty. Only hotels are clean! !
13. The Occidental Grand Punta Cana has a very Americanized cuisine (in our opinion). Basins carry french fries, ketchup, mayonnaise, cutlets for hamburgers.
14. Alcohol is not counterfeited! You can drink and buy without fear. By the way, the rum flows like water in the hotel, very generously. Prices in "Columbus Plaza" for alcohol from $ 5-130 per bottle, depending on the volume and the number of years of exposure. "Brugal 151" - 75 degrees. It costs $15.
15. The hotel does not have Russian-speaking staff. They only know a few phrases. The room was cleaned regularly (on - 4); The bar in the room was replenished regularly.
16. Clothes dry for a very long time; the big problem is the 110 volt network.
You need to buy the adapter yourself ($ 3 in the hotel store), the equipment takes a very long time to charge. There is one Russian channel - TVCI.
17. There are not enough sun loungers for everyone on the beach and by the pool. If you do not take at 7.00 in the morning, you will lie on the sand or on the grass by the pool.
18. In the price lists they write - a free ride on horseback. There is no such thing - do not wait! Non-motorized water activities - also for a fee!
19. On the beach you can play volleyball, aerobics and teach local dances, tennis, etc. - FREE!
20. Be sure to put on a cream - sun protection, because in the Dominican Republic it is specific, not the same as in Asian countries - it is not noticeable how you burn (a constant breeze blows and the body cools down).
21. The Atlantic Ocean is very beautiful. You can fly along the coast in a helicopter. Approximate prices: $129 - 1 person (15min); 319$ - 1 person (40min). Hot air balloon flight 1 person - $285. Wedding ceremonies from $1350 – $2975.
22. Hotel guide - lethargic. Completely does not convey information on excursions, hotel, etc. (PEGAS).
When we flew back, we talked to other tourists from different hotels - EVERYONE complains about this problem.
23. Excursions, as you understand, are all very expensive. They refer to the high cost of fuel - this is not entirely true. (1 liter of petrol ~ $1.7), more expensive in Europe; stupidly expensive excursions.
24. Guides immediately warn that the rooms are stolen. It is better to close everything of value in suitcases with a combination lock, and not in a safe.
25. Direct flight from Yekaterinburg - fly 14 hours. The time difference is 10 hours. (if in Yekaterinburg - 20.00, then in the Dominican Republic - 10.00 in the morning of the same day).
Translated automatically from Russian. View original
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