Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana - All Inclusive

The hotel is beautiful and immaculately kept. Staff is very friendly and helpful. . We thoroughly enjoyed the speciality restaurants (Flame, Nomad, and Mexican) and food was delicious. There are multiple pools and an amazing beach. Great family vacation!

We traveled the week of February 16 and overall had a good experience, with a few important concerns. Check-in was quick and easy (we arrived around 10:30 pm). The rooms in the Grand section are clean and spacious, and housekeeping did an excellent job daily. However, the rooms are dated and showing wear. We had minor maintenance issues like a toilet handle that had to be lifted to stop running and a broken shower wand holder. The grounds are beautiful and very well maintained. The nightly entertainment was excellent and a real highlight of the trip. Pool bar service was okay but sometimes slow. The à la carte restaurants were very good and worth booking. The buffet, however, needs improvement. The selection was very similar most nights, and labels often did not match the food being served. Our biggest concern was food allergies and dietary restrictions. Several people in our group have food allergies, including gluten intolerance and celiac disease. Communication with staff about ingredients was difficult, and there were little to no clearly identified gluten-free or celiac-safe options available. The inaccurate buffet labeling made it stressful to determine what was safe to eat. This is an area that seriously needs attention. Overall, we enjoyed our stay and would return, but we would likely choose a different section of the resort next time. If you have food allergies or celiac disease, be prepared and advocate for yourself. Also, bring bug spray — mosquitoes were very active in the evenings.

Very poor management of sunbeds — unacceptable experience The biggest issue at this resort is the complete failure to manage sunbeds at both the pools and the beach. From the very first hours in the morning, around 80% of the loungers are “reserved” with towels, yet left empty for hours. This happens despite clearly posted signs stating that reserving chairs is not allowed. The rules exist only on paper — they are not enforced. Staff members simply say they “cannot do anything,” which is difficult to believe. The situation is so systematic that it creates the impression that employees themselves may be informally benefiting from this practice. Whether that is true or not, the result is the same: total disorder and unfairness. No manager or supervisor appears interested in solving the problem. We are a family of seven, including a child and people who are more sensitive to sun exposure. Despite being paying guests, we have repeatedly been unable to find sunbeds — not at the pool, not at the beach. Meanwhile, rows of chairs sit empty but blocked by towels for most of the day. This is not a minor inconvenience. At a resort of this category, access to basic seating and shade should be guaranteed, not a daily battle at dawn. This situation is frankly disgraceful and reflects very poor management standards Francisco Lebre

I recently stayed at Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana, and this resort does not live up to its advertised five-star rating. This review is strictly of the hotel. Punta Cana weather is amazing, although the beach was covered in seaweed. From arrival, the resort felt overcrowded. Check-in took an extremely long time, with lineups everywhere, only to be given a terrible, outdated room. If you stay here, you must request a renovated room—otherwise you’re staying in what feels like a one-star motel with brick-hard beds. After two nights, we did receive an upgraded room, which slightly improved the experience of our 10-day stay, but it never reached anything close to a luxury level. The resort is simply too busy. There are long lineups everywhere, daily. They also constantly run out of towels, both at the pools and the beach, which is frustrating and unacceptable for a resort of this size. Finding a chair after 9 a.m. is impossible—every chair is covered with towels and nothing is enforced. The beach is extremely crowded at this resort. If you walk to neighboring resorts, the beach is noticeably less busy and you can easily find a chair. Dining was mixed. The food was good, and the entertainment was excellent, which were definite positives. Service varied widely. At most restaurants, servers did not speak English, making ordering difficult. The standout was the Flame Restaurant, where the service was excellent—especially if you are willing to purchase a bottle of wine through the sommelier. One important thing to note: if you stay at the Grand Punta, you do NOT have access to any of the other Bahia resorts, but guests from other Bahia resorts do have access to this one, which adds even more people and crowding. A bright spot for families was the kids’ water park, which was a highlight for our children and surprisingly not too busy. Overall, this resort is not a five-star property, or anywhere close to it. At best, it is a three-star resort with some good food and entertainment, but major issues with crowds, room quality, and basic amenities. Overall rating: 3 stars max. --- Pros: Good food overall Great nightly entertainment Excellent service at the Flame Restaurant (especially with wine purchase) Kids’ water park was a highlight and not too busy Punta Cana weather is amazing Cons: Extremely overcrowded resort Long lineups everywhere, daily Outdated, poor-quality rooms unless renovated Brick-hard beds in non-renovated rooms Constantly running out of towels No chairs available after 9 a.m. due to towel reserving Very crowded beach with seaweed Limited English spoken by servers in most restaurants No access to other Bahia resorts, while other resorts access this one If you want, I can also tighten this up for Google Reviews character limits or make it even more blunt.

My wife and I stayed here for a few days as a getaway from the extreme cold weather in Toronto. Overall, we had a very good experience. The food was okay, and the buffet offered a massive variety of food and desserts for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I’m pretty sure everyone can find something to eat regardless of their appetite or preferences. On top of that, the staff were super helpful and kind. I didn’t experience a single moment of rudeness. Although their English is not very strong, they were always willing to help and provide service. I never felt that if I didn’t tip, they would be rude or not do their job properly. The pools were clean, and almost everywhere in the resort was clean and well maintained. The only downside was the room. The rooms look old and definitely need renovation. The cold water for hand washing didn’t work properly, and there were visible signs of wear and tear on the beds and furniture. I was expecting a better room. Also, the rooms are very close to each other, so you may get woken up in the middle of the night by noisy neighbors. Other than the room, everything else in the resort was great and enjoyable. One more thing that was important to me: the way they make cocktails. They are very generous with the amount of alcohol they pour, which I personally appreciated.

My wife and I went with another couple, all in our early 60’s and all fairly easy going. This was our second time at the Bahia Principe. The first time we were at the Luxury Ambar Adults Only but decided to try the Grand this time. As expected, the grounds were beautiful, clean, well kept, and landscaping crews were around most days keeping the grounds up. The staff throughout the resort were always friendly and very helpful with our questions and needs. Our room was clean and recently upgraded. We were on the Bahia Principe Grand Punta Cana side. We did have a large “6 legged local guest” pay us a visit one day but housekeeping was quick to move him back to the gardens. Maybe because we were on the ground floor, but we placed a towel along the crack at the bottom of our door each night and never had another visitor. Given the size of the Grand, and the BP resort overall, the trams were a great way to get around and there were numerous trams operating at all times of the day. Never a long wait. The drivers were very friendly and would pick you up even if you weren’t at a designated tram stop. There are 3 pools. The beach pool was where the action was. Lots of activities, crowded and loud music. If you want a lounger in the shade, get up early! Not very relaxing but it was where most people hung out. The 2 pools in the middle of the grounds were much more relaxing, quiet, and unlike the beach pool, we didn’t have to get up early to get a lounger in the shade. At the middle pools we were able to get loungers in the shade up to about 10:00am…any time after and availability was hit and miss. The middle pools were clean, well kept and the pool bars were never lined up. The bartenders were great to deal with and a lot of fun. We went to 3 a la cart restaurants. (Greek, Italian and the Steakhouse) every one was a fantastic experience. The food, atmosphere and staff were top notch. Make sure you book through the BP app the week before you get there. If you wait, you might not get a reservation time. Overall, a fantastic vacation, but there were a few challenges and disappointments. Check-in: When we booked we opted for and paid a premium for the Grand Punta Cana as it was advertised as upgraded rooms as opposed to the Grand Bavao. When we arrived they informed us the Grand Punta Cana and the Grand Bavaro had been merged into just “the Grand” and our room was now the older rooms that were in the Bavaro. They told us if we wanted the upgraded rooms on the Punta Cana side we would have to pay a premium of $340usd. While checking in our friends and 2 other couples met the same fate of having to pay for an upgrade that we had already paid for. It definitely felt like a “bait & switch” or money grab….not a great way to start. Restaurants(buffet’s): one of the two main restaurants was closed. Every day and every meal, breakfast, lunch and dinner, we had to line up to get in. We regularly experienced lines out the door and 200 feet down the sidewalk. The line moved fairly quickly, but once inside the atmosphere was somewhat chaotic. Overcrowded and loud. Staff were friendly but overwhelmed to get tables cleaned and reset. Several days/meals they ran out of plates at the buffet and drinking glasses at the water stations. On these days we had to wait for staff to replenish the plates. They tried to keep up but as I mentioned earlier, overwhelmed. Lots of buffet options and the food was good. There was a bright spot each night at the dinner buffet. Once we did get seated, we asked for and we were so fortunate to sit in “Francisco’s” section. He made every dinner fun. On our last day we did notice the second main buffet restaurant re-opened for dinner. Maybe this will take the pressure off. The beach restaurant (for lunch) was not a good experience at all. Again staff were friendly but overwhelmed. If you were lucky enough to find a table, we had to track down staff to clean it off and reset. And then you had to sit and hold your table while your spouse got food, and then visa versa, or risk somebody taking your table. We only ate there once, and then opted for the main buffet. Fly bites: Our first day we went for a walk on the beach and were bitten several times by sand flies. After a couple of days the bites became unbelievably itchy and red spots started to appear. We also experienced mosquitos in the lounge areas where there was foliage close by. Recommend you take Off or a repellant with deet as well as anti itch cream just in case. Tipping: we took $50 in $1 bills for tipping, and we ran out. Unfortunately we were unsuccessful getting change from the front desk. We heard several other guests with the same issue. Next time we will take $75 or more in ones. Private Shuttle: Not related to the Grand, this was the second time we paid $150 during booking for a private shuttle to and from the airport. No more stopping at 3 or 4 other resorts picking up other guests. This time we were picked up the same time as another couple who were on a large bus. We arrived at the airport 45 minutes before them. Definitely recommend! Aside from a few hiccups, a great resort, we had a great time and definitely recommended for couples or families.

We arrived at the hotel and on first glance was lovely. Our room was very spacious and lovely. Cleaned each day and bins emptied as toilet paper is put in the bin. The beach was a bit disappointing as the amount of seaweed on it. They attempt to clear with tractors but not very successfully. The sea is also quite rough. Sunbeds are reserved around 7am and some not actually laid on until after 11am. No effort is made by staff to remove towels or warn anyone. Not good. Entertainment in Spanish as there are predominantly Spanish speaking guests and lots of Canadians. Food is plentiful. Restaurants can get very busy. The speciality restaurants you can book are ok but nothing special. Bar staff serve Spanish speaking guests first or ones that tip every time. I wouldn’t recommend the hotel to British guests unless your Spanish is better than mine which is basic.

Sooo disappointed and would advise that unless you can understand the Spanish language, to avoid this hotel. ALL entertainment was in Spanish and staff struggled to understand questions. No entertainment, (all music played everywhere in Spanish) for british travellers and hotel was over populated. The restaurant struggled to cope with the sheer volume of diners making it very difficult to find cutlery, cups and glasses. The actual food was very good with ample variety but in the end I dreaded going to the restaurant as it was just soooo loud and manic. On 2 occasions when I asked staff members to provide cutlery, I was told to take off another table which at the time were all occupied. Beach was very disappointing and looked nothing like in the brochure. It was impossible to secure a bed on the beach other than on 2 occasions where I was on the beach by 6:30 am