Finest Punta Cana by The Excellence Collection - All Inclusive

Currently staying at Finest Punta Cana in the excellence club. I have to say this is a beautiful resort! The service and the personnel are excellent!! I can’t say enough about the staff, Antonio and Jamison, Alex and German at the pool and beach are fantastic . We’ve enjoyed all of the restaurants and the food is excellent ,

Loved our stay, but definitely a lot of learnings on my side: - Don't book in October, it felt like they're preparing for peak season in December when various areas are continuously being painted or closed off for improvements - I book hotels based on many things, one of my top three is the kids pool. My kid was proper hyped only to find the ENTIRE area shut as there's construction going on. No one told us about that before booking. That was beyond disappointing as all kids had one single pool attraction to play with (blue mountain). - Private pool was never used by us as it's next to hedges which attracts lots of bugs, worms and other insects swimming in there. They did clean it for us promptly upon request, but that's a learning on my side. If you're sensitive to these things, don't book a pool with nature around it. - A couple of days the kids pool had LOTS of bird poo floating in it. Parents tried to keep pushing it in the pool's sewer system on the edges. Not sure why that happened. - Food and service was outstanding, especially on Halloween they put a lot of love and thought into the show and decorations - Drinks are a mixed bag, totally depends on the bar tender and bar you go to. Some are watery, some taste like it's sheer alcohol and some are just right - The cleanliness in the room is to be highlighted. That was impeccable and I'm still wondering how they managed to be this fast and thorough. Our room was done every single day while we were at breakfast, I haven't seen the cleaners in there once to tell them what a great job they were doing. - The restaurants all come with a kids play corner and a nanny. The space have big glass windows so you can keep an eye on your kids while enjoying dinner - There were a good amount of sales people at the beach that follow you around. Also in front of the Market Kitchen (breakfast), there were always 1-3 tour guides offering trips. None of them were super pushy except one guy at the beach, but my personal preference is always "Don't call us, we call you" aka ask reception when the guides are around and book a tour that way. The sales people at the beach surprised me, I did not expect that. - Reception sent us a bottle of bubbly for my birthday, which was lovely. - Gym was awesome, great equipment All in all it was a great stay, but compared to our stay at Finest in Cancun, this hit a different note.

We just returned from our honeymoon at Finest Punta Cana, and it was absolutely everything we hoped for and more! From the moment we arrived, every single staff member went above and beyond to make our stay unforgettable. The entertainment team was truly incredible — they brought so much joy, energy, and laughter to every day! Whether it was bingo, dancing, or fun daily events, they made sure everyone felt included and had a great time. A special shoutout to July and Soleda — their warmth, smiles, and amazing personalities made our days so bright. They truly made us feel like part of the Finest family! We also have to mention the amazing bartenders, Jovanny and Nicauris, who went out of their way to make every drink (and every moment) special. Their kindness, attention to detail, and fun spirits made every day by the pool that much better — we always looked forward to seeing them! Another huge thank you to Algenis, the manager of the Pool Club, who was absolutely phenomenal. When we had a small issue, he handled it with such care and professionalism — he truly went above and beyond to make sure we were happy and comfortable. His kindness and genuine hospitality left such a lasting impression on us. Finally, we had the most beautiful honeymoon dinner at the Italian restaurant, where Stephanie and Brian made us feel so celebrated and loved. The service, food, and ambiance were all perfect — it was such a special evening we’ll never forget. We cannot say enough wonderful things about this resort — the people, the atmosphere, the food, the entertainment — everything exceeded our expectations. We left feeling so cared for and so grateful for everyone who made our honeymoon truly magical. We highly, highly recommend Finest Punta Cana to anyone considering it — you will not be disappointed. We’re already counting down the days until we can come back!

Buyer beware. We directly booked a family suite with pool back in June for a November trip with two other couples and their kids on the Finest website. This is our 3rd time at Finest Punta Cana. A week before our scheduled arrival, we noticed that we could get our room at club level for a modest price difference. We took advantage of the generous cancellation policy and rebooked the club level pool family suite. Fast forward to Sunday, we arrive on site, begin the Club level check in routine (sit in lounge, get a drink and hear about your club-level benefits). Things are great until the manager comes over to inform us that the room we reserved is unavailable due to construction. The replacement room would be a downgrade (still has a private pool, but doesn’t have the secondary bedroom for the kids). He explained that there weren’t any other rooms available (even if we stepped back to non-club-level). Basically we’re stuck with what they assigned us. He also explained, that since it was a Sunday, and the reservation department was closed, they couldn’t give us an updated price. “But don’t worry, we’ll find you suitable compensation. We’re very sorry, but we’ll work to make your stay just as special”. The only reason we have chosen finest on our last 3 vacations has been to take advantage of the family suite, so we were understandably upset, but figured we were stuck. He did suggest that perhaps we could be moved later in our stay, but he would confirm and let us know. Monday, we didn’t hear from the manager by lunch— so we headed to the desk to inquire about the situation (so that maybe we could get a room where we could actually unpack). “Sorry- he’s very busy today, but I’ll remind him to contact you on your cell” We then spent 45 minutes making dinner reservations for our large group. 5 hours after our first trip to the desk, we hadn’t heard anything, so I went back. “Oh, sir, I’m a supervisor. Take a seat and I’ll sort this out! The manager is still busy”. He pulled up the account, and presented us with our “compensation”: a $100 discount on our stay. Keep in mind, when compare the rooms side by side, for the same time frames, there’s a $900 price difference for the Family Suite I explained $100 is not a fair adjustment. He told me it’s what they will offer, and it’s final. I can pay, or I can leave. At this point I left to let my wife know the situation. She talked me off the ledge (packing up and leaving for the Hard Rock), and decided to join me on another trip to the front desk. This time, there were several other couples checking in, only to hear the same information— the rooms they booked were also unavailable (despite the rooms still being offered on their website for sale for this same week!). It started getting loud… eventually the original man gargle came down to speak with us again. “I’m sorry, I agree that $100 is not enough. Let me sort this out. We settled down enough, and headed back to our room only after getting his direct phone number. Later that night, we found out our dinner reservations never went through… Tuesday, I got a text from the manager saying they’d adjust our charge by $790 instead of $100. Still not the $900, but a step in the right direction. They also tossed in a couple of massages for our “trouble”. Our first two visits here were great. Now it seems bait and switch is their business plan. The manager was kind. The “supervisor” was happy to kick us out. I think we’ll spend our money elsewhere next time to save the hassle. If it wasn’t for the beautiful beach, the friendly ancillary staff and a modest attempt to right their wrong, this would be a one star review.

We had booked a family suite at the resort with the separate room for our son. When we arrived they told us that the room we booked was not available because it was under construction. We were not informed of this prior to our arrival at all. Apparently all the rooms in that block was under construction so they had known about it but just decided not to tell anyone who was booked there. The only reason we booked here was because it had the separate room for the kids. They told us the only rooms they had available was the junior suites. Now we're here for an anniversary trip with our son sleeping in the bed next to ours. The only thing they offered was a cabana for a day and some stupid hydro massage to placate us. Very unhappy with the whole situation. This had turned what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation to a stressful situation.

We stayed at the Finest Punta Cana and overall had a great experience. The common areas like the pools, gym, and kids club are absolutely amazing. Every night there were live shows and music, which made the evenings really fun and lively. The breakfast and lunch buffets were excellent, especially the Dominican food selection. The hotel is spotless, everything is beautifully maintained. I also loved that they offer fresh coconuts all day long, as many as you want , such a nice touch! Now, for the downsides: there was no dinner buffet, which made things a bit challenging with a young child. Even though some restaurants had play areas, the wait times were still long, and honestly, having just one buffet open at night would have made the whole experience so much smoother. Also, despite having many restaurants, there wasn’t a Dominican restaurant, which was disappointing since we were in the Dominican Republic, it would have been great to experience more local flavors. Lastly, the cocktails were either too sweet or not well balanced, which was another small letdown. The reason I’m still giving this hotel five stars is because of the staff, they truly made the difference. Daniela at the Tropical Bar made the best piña colada I’ve ever had. Ismael (sorry if I’m not spelling it right!) also made excellent drinks and went out of his way to bring us food to a pool area where service wasn’t even offered. That was really appreciated! And a big thank you to Araceli, Juli, Jeremi & Glenis who checked in with us throughout our stay and kept us informed about all the activities happening at the resort. Even though I don’t have everyone’s names, honestly, every single staff member was incredibly kind. If the dinner buffet ever comes back, we’ll definitely be returning!

Our honeymoon experience was perfect thanks to the wonderful staff and location. The beaches were clean, people were friendly, and drinks were strong. Our room was beautifully set up for our arrival, and the room service was attentive. We couldn't have asked for more, and hope to return as soon as possible.

Having travelled extensively for many years we decided that we would choose a special hotel to return to every year so we always knew we would have an amazing holiday. We are retired now so this is important for us. Having used adult only Excellence resorts many times and always had great experiences, we decided to try the new Finest family resort which was built just a few years ago. We were a little hesitant as we’d always travelled adult only since the children had grown up, however, the Finest has an adult only Excellence club area so we booked that, choosing a swim up room. We’ve been back every year since then, it just gets better and better! This is in fact, the very special hotel we were looking for. We need not have been concerned about families with children as they have never been an issue and its lovely to see the little ones having so much fun. The resort is large enough to accommodate all, and if you get tired of the children you can just return to your adult only area. First impressions are the reception staff who greet you with a cool wet facecloth and a glass of bubbly. Their warm welcome makes you feel so at home straight off. All facilities are spotless and modern, the light switches are touch activated! The large rooms are clean and fresh equipped with everything you could need. The beds are huge and very comfortable with frequent linen changes. The rooms have large walk in wardrobes provided with shelves and hanging space and equipped with lots of coat hangers, also a decent sized safe big enough for a lap top. Bathrooms equipped with bath, shower and two hand basins, the enclosed lavatory cubicles are well maintained and spotless. Towels are large, pure white, and fluffy. The Excellence club rooms have large square baths discreetly positioned in the corner of the room behind a curtain. Large comfortable sofa and table face a huge television. Usual coffee making machine supplied and a stocked mini fridge which is replenished daily is provided with beers, soft drinks, and snacks. All the restaurants and hospitality areas are of exceptionally high standard, hygiene is well attended to, also some of the restaurants have a children’s play room attached so when the children are restless they can go to play so as not to disturb other diners. All the pools are immaculate, the water quality is frequently tested. Gardens and beach areas are spacious, beautiful and kept clean and maintained. The room attendants are thorough and there is a turn down evening service with a towel change and tidy up. All food served in the resort is of an excellent standard, beautifully cooked an well presented and served. The buffet restaurant which is open for breakfast and lunch has an amazing array of everything foodwise you could imagine with cooking stations preparing absolutely fresh food while you wait. People with special dietary requirements are well catered for and there is a specific area of the buffet where child friendly food is available, this has an attached play room. Bars are well stocked with a great choice of beverages, whatever you might like, both alcohol and alcohol free available. Entertainment is pretty standard resort stuff in the theatre, lots of fun. There’s music and bands performing from early evening onwards. During the day there are many activities you can join in, aqua fun etc. For children there are pools catering for all ages, a toddler pool and older children’s pool areas have appropriately sized bouncing domes. A children’s playground is near the pools with slides etc. and a separate Kids Club area divided in two sections with slides and water play, one for little tots and the other for older children. These areas are well supervised and the children have activities there. If you want to carry on with your fitness routine the gym is well equipped with everything you need for a good workout. Next to the gym is an excellent spa with water circuits and therapies. I can recommend the couples massage, the masseuses are incredible, you feel like you’ve literally melted into the therapy couch! I can’t praise the Finest enough, the standards here are above and beyond what you might expect from a resort, all the staff are delightful, warm and friendly, caring and always looking to make sure you have the best holiday. These people deserve your utmost respect and consideration so be kind to them, they all work so very hard. Acknowledge the gardeners too, they keep the resort beautiful, say “Hola” and give them a wave, they’re friendly. Maybe learn a little bit of Spanish, they will help you with your speaking and it’s fun. We are already booked to return in March 2026. We can’t wait to be back! I’d like to mention some wonderful people at this point who worked so hard to make our holiday special (it always is)! Rosaura (Rosa) guest services, because she is amazing and so lovely. She has to have the number one position.! Davelyn in the breakfast buffet because she is just a sweetheart Randy in the breakfast buffet for his massive bear hugs. Dania, breakfast buffet always looked after us so well Wady who seemed to be everywhere is just the nicest person Edward, in the Dommo restaurant Fernando,Lelena, Erisabel market kitchen, all so caring and attentive Nicadil, in the Dommo restaurant Liriano, supervisor Market Kitchen, always warm and friendly making sure we had everything we needed. Margarita, in the Dommo reception Agustin, Dommo restaurant waiter Yingrid, waitress Lizo Mexican restaurant Aracelis, waitress Gusto restaurant Damuel, chef market kitchen always ready with a smile and a warm greeting. Everyone else at the resort really deserves praise because everyone there is just amazing but I couldn’t write all the names down. Hope this review helps you to decide to visit this fabulous resort. Sorry it’s a bit long!!

First time traveling with our baby and we had the most amazing time here. Cant wait to take her back.

Returned from our third trip (Sept 21 -28) and I think it just gets better with every trip. The occupancy was the lowest we have experienced before (we always go in late September) which meant that there were less scheduled activities and only a few restaurants were open at night. Didn’t matter to us – we prefer the smaller crowd. Our favorite restaurant, Le Petit Plaisir was only open on two nights (including the day we arrived – but we were so tired, we missed that day) and we only got there once, but it was as fabulous as always. We actually got an opportunity to eat from the Le Petit menu another night at Dommo – we were so thrilled that they did that for us. We even had the opportunity to meet the chefs at both Le Petit and Dommo – they both are very skilled and so good at what they do! The staff at all the restuarants certainly went above and beyond – we enjoyed every meal and never left hungry. Some people complain about the food, but we love it, and service is second to none! As always, the resort was immaculate, and check in was smooth. We had an early morning flight, so we had to wait a bit for our room, but our concierge Juan made sure we got some lunch while we waited. As soon as our room was available, our luggage was delivered (my apologies, I missed the name of the smiling man that brought it). Our room smelled fantastic, and a bottle of bubbly was waiting on ice, as were treats and fruit. They even called a short while later to make sure we had everything we needed – what a great touch! We enjoyed a few shows and the staff always put on a great show. Very energetic and they love to involve the audience – walking amongst the crowd and getting everyone clapping. We had dinner on the beach included in our room (it was also our anniversary) and our concierge Juan arranged that for us. We have done this before, but this time, we were the only people dining, so it was even more special. Some people don’t care for dinner on the beach, but we love listening to the ocean and watching the sunset with our toes in the sand. The resort, grounds, restaurants, shows, and activities are all wonderful, but for us, it’s the people who make the trip so memorable. Here are some that we got to see again (they are all fantastic) as well as some new ones we met on this trip: Albert – drive from airport to resort. Friendly and informative. Alexska – EC check-in/reception. So very kind and welcoming. Wilfredo – drive back to the airport. Thanks for the MJ tunes! Rony (the man!) at the EC lounge bar – best drinks ever!! Le Petit – Nicadil was our waiter (fantastic service), but we also got to see Jorge Miguel and Marisol again, who we met on previous trips. Love both of them! **Thank you Marisol for agreeing to be our server for our beach dinner – we were so thrilled!!! Dommo – we did several dinners and breakfasts here – LOVE all the staff here. Eduard (only got to see him one day as he was going into days off, but he is just wonderful and it was great to see him again and chat for a few minutes). Alexander, Jonathan and Francois took great care of us over several visits, as did Margarita – she greeted us with a smile every time. They remembered what we liked to drink at breakfast, and gave such attentive service. Thank you to each of you! Spa – the spa here is fantastic. Yes, it is pricy, but the service is beyond comparison and everyone is so friendly. Thank you to Yessica and Dalexis, Maria and Oscar – great massages. Also Diana at the hydrotherapy. I cannot leave out our friend Yajaira – we met her on our last trip and she is super – love her. She remembered us from our last trip and we had a great time catching up. She helped us book our massage at the spa and made sure we were looked after – even checking in the day after to see how it went. She is a true gem, such an asset to the resort, and her face is always smiling. Beach – we are beach lovers, and getting to see Argenis again was one of the highlights of our trip. We have had the pleasure of seeing him every trip and he takes such good care of us. Every day our favorite spot was set up and ready to go – he checked in regularly, brought us champagne at the beach, and made sure every day was paradise. So friendly, so kind and the service he and his team provide is the BEST we have ever experienced anywhere in our travels. You’ll find flowers decorating your beach bed, and he even did sand art for our anniversary – so thoughtful. Argenis is another asset to the resort – they are very lucky to have him, and we hope to see him again on our next trip. Antonio, who we met last trip, has move to the EC bar, but we had the pleasure of meeting German this time – he made sure we always had a drink in hand, food whenever we wanted it, and was so fun to chat with. Another great part of our trip – thank you! All the staff at the beach are fantastic and you want for nothing. Somelier – Wilfredo. Another new friend we met this trip and another great ambassador for the resort. He checked in with us at every dinner to see if we needed anything, suggested a new white wine that has become a new favorite, and even made sure that a waiter got us a drink at one of the evening shows. Not his job – but he obviously loves the guests, and it shows in how he interacts with them and ensures you have anything you could possibly dream of. Last, but certainly not least, our concierge Juan. He took care of absolutely everything. Being in an imperial suite, we wanted for nothing. Want extra water – it was delivered in minutes. Need extra hangers – delivered in minutes. Want a different pillow – delivered in minutes. He checked in with us every day (often multiple times) to see how our trip was going and if we needed anything. He made reservations for spa, dinner, and anything else we needed. As Imperial guests, we were able to visit either EPC or EEC, and we chose to go to EEC on our anniversary (as Le Petit was not open). Our dinner there was great – Juan had arranged for us to be met at the entrance, had our table decorated, and even had a bottle of champagne waiting for us. Every day, he found us at the beach to check in, found us at the pool to check in, found us at breakfast to see if we needed anything, and sent special treats to the room. I cannot thank him enough for his kindness during our trip. We enjoyed him so much, that we plan to ask for him as our concierge when we return in April. Juan is very proud to work here, takes immense pride in his country and the resort, and we cannot wait to see him again. Thank you Juan – you are the BEST and you are one of the main reasons our trip was so awesome!! Everyone one of these employees made our trip special and we seek them out to catch up. They truly are the heart of this resort and do anything they can to exceed your expectations. We think of the all as true family/friends. I know I have forgotten others at various restaurants, but truly, they are all such wonderful hosts. When they say “welcome home” when you arrive, it truly feels that way. We have found our forever home, and this is the place we want to visit over and over. Thank you to everyone for another great stay – we greatly appreciate every one we had the pleasure of meeting, and we cannot wait to return in April to see everyone again. See you in 167 days!!!