My husband and I were incredibly disappointed in Casa de Campo. I've heard wonderful things about this resort for years, so when we saw a great TravelZoo deal, we bought a 6-night stay. This was a mistake, and I would encourage everyone to avoid this, as we clearly got the lesser "TravelZoo experience" as compared to other guests.
The voucher said to call the hotel to book. When I called, I was told you have to email them instead. While this wouldn't normally be an issue, the response time from the Casa de Campo team was slow, and the dates we originally inquired about sold out between us confirming we wanted to book and the hotel taking any action. We went back and forth with the reservations team for a week or so, but were finally able to secure a reservation for April. They also assisted in booking airport transportation for us.
When we arrived at the resort to check-in, our room was not ready, and we were instructed to enjoy lunch at the lobby restaurant, which was pleasant. However, as the resort knew our arrival time (since they booked our airport transportation), any other high-end resort would have ensured the room was ready. I assume that, since we didn't pay full-price, the resort didn't care enough to ensure this was done.
When we returned to reception to complete our check-in, I noticed all other guests had received a glass of champagne upon arrival. This was never offered to us.
We booked a Signature Casita room, which is the entry level room, and I can not recommend this to anyone. The walls were incredibly thin, to the point where we could not only hear our neighbors, but could even identify their accent as being British. The room is old and in need of a refresh. Our shower drain was clogged when we arrived, but this was resolved after a day. The water also never got hot enough for my taste. I was disappointed there was no bathtub, which seems to be a standard part of guest rooms at most high-end resorts. Our patio area, while nice to have, backed up to the main road so everyone could see us whenever we were outside. This also meant we had to have the curtains closed or people would clearly see into our room. We were also unable to control the temperature in our room, as the thermostat is clearly just for show and does not actually let you select a temperature.
The best part about our room was the location, walking distance to the lobby, main pool area, and the breakfast buffet. However, at breakfast each day we were denied an outdoor table no matter how many empty tables were available. Again, I assume this is because we booked a discounted rate.
The food is good throughout the resort, with the lobby restaurant being a real highlight. We were disappointed with the Italian restaurant (everything was under-seasoned) and the Peruvian spot (good cocktails, though!), and felt the other restaurants were just "fine". Service was great everywhere, though! I was surprised there was no restaurant dedicated to local Dominican cuisine.
The resort provides guests with a golf cart, as it's incredibly spread out. Our golf cart was both very slow and low on gas. We had to go to the lobby on day 2 or 3 to get re-fueled. Other guests would pass us on the roads, as the cart was old and slow. In my opinion, the resort is too large, as it would take us 20+ minutes to get to some of the restaurants. If we had a proper golf cart, it probably would have been much faster.
I enjoyed the Spa one day while my husband played golf. The amenities were nice, and I would recommend visiting this and arriving at least 2 hours before your appointment time to enjoy the space. My husband enjoyed playing all 3 golf courses, however had an issue with one caddy harassing him for an extra tip above the resort's stated amount.
We spent most of our time at the main pool area near the lobby. There is a pool bar, but unfortunately this is not an adults-only pool, so it was overrun with children splashing and being quite loud. They were also climbing on a waterfall feature that clearly said "KEEP OFF", and ignoring staff's repeated requests for them to behave. I strongly recommend the resort make this an adults-only pool as there is another kid-specific pool near the beach.
Safety at the pool is also a concern. One day, there was a signifiant thunderstorm with lightning nearby. Staff actually instructed guests to stay in the pool, claiming we were safer there than out of the water. This is incredibly unsafe, as water is an excellent conductor of electricity, and everyone in the pool was at risk of death if lightning had struck there. I was shocked when I heard staff telling people to stay at the pool bar and got out immediately.
The resort provides guests with a card that lets staff know what type of package you have (all-inclusive, breakfast only, etc.). It was annoying to have to carry this around and hand it to staff each time you ordered a drink or a meal. I think a wristband system would be much better, as I've seen at many other resorts.
Smoking is rampant at the resort. We were enjoying a nightcap at the outdoor lobby bar one evening, but had to leave as the smoke from other guests made it hard to breathe. I wish there were designated smoking areas, away from bars/restaurants, so guests are subjected to secondhand smoke.
At checkout, we had an issue with our bill where we were charged for many things that were included in our package. We spent about 20 minutes fixing this with staff, so I encourage everyone to review their bill carefully at checkout to avoid this.
Lastly, the resort has a large cat population. As a cat lover, I was happy to see them, though I quickly realized the resort is not taking care of these poor animals. Many cats are visibly injured (there was a sweet kitty by the Marina with a giant neck wound) or sick/underweight. Many cats would visit the restaurants to beg for food, and it was heartbreaking to see how mistreated they are. The resort obviously wants cats for natural pest control, but they need to do a better job of taking care of them. The cats should have shelters/houses to sleep in, and need to be fed at least one meal a day to ensure they are healthy. They also desperately need to partner with a local veterinarian on a TNR program. Fixed cats live longer, healthier lives. I do not want them to get rid of the cats, but simply to be responsible cat "owners" and take care of these precious animals.
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