Bahia Principe Escape Aquamarine +18

“Still in love with Bahia, but the disco situation matters”

1. Arrival & Check-in The arrival went great and without any problems. However, as in the last few times, there was once again no refreshing towel and no welcome drink. Is that due to the time I arrive? Because I keep seeing that guests who arrive around midday are welcomed differently and with ex… more

1. Arrival & Check-in The arrival went great and without any problems. However, as in the last few times, there was once again no refreshing towel and no welcome drink. Is that due to the time I arrive? Because I keep seeing that guests who arrive around midday are welcomed differently and with exactly these things. My room request, (building 64, top floor and king-size bed) which I had previously made in the app and by email, was fulfilled perfectly and was already on file. TOP! :) <3 I had 64306 and it was simply wonderful! THANK YOU for that! <3 My luggage was also brought to the room immediately. 2. Room The room was flawless as always. Clean, well maintained, always fresh towels, always freshly cleaned, etc. The air conditioning worked perfectly, as did the shower. I could not complain, everything was really great and therefore also very relaxing. 3. General cleanliness The cleanliness in the hotel is excellent. Even the shared toilets by the pool are cleaned regularly. There is nothing I could criticize here. The green areas are also very well maintained. 4. Service & Staff Overall, everything was top and great. Sometimes, however, I wonder whether it is an advantage or disadvantage when you are known and everyone knows you, etc. Because in the past I was asked more often at the pool whether I wanted anything. Maybe it is also because I sometimes drink less and order less and am independent and often go directly to the bar myself, but it used to be different. Just as a small side note. ;) In the lobby and in front of the coffee shop, I was also rarely asked whether I wanted anything. That used to be better too. I had the impression that couples or groups were treated preferentially. But those really are only small points of criticism. Overall, I was very satisfied with the service and staff. At the pool it was mainly Marlene, Karina, Yuleidy, Enmanuel, Yael, Yordy, Eziquel, Carlos Canario, Yamar and also those not mentioned who gave me a wonderful experience. There was actually nobody here whom I did not like or who was bad or unsympathetic. Thanks to everyone <3 The staff in the coffee shop was also outstanding again! Everyone! <3 In the lobby and the restaurants, the staff was also great. Ela was really in a good mood as always and very nice. Likewise Ramon and Eriica/Maria, Thatiana, Fior (Coffee Shop) but also many others whose names I do not have at hand. Unfortunately, the language skills of the staff are still very limited. Most of them only speak Spanish and hardly any/no English. Only very few speak a little English, which is a shame. I am now learning more and more Spanish in order to be able to communicate better, but I also think the employees should be able to speak a little more English, so that both sides can meet each other halfway. It would certainly also make many Americans and Canadians happy. ;) I can speak German, English, a little French and now I am learning a little Spanish. I am not asking for German there and I also do not want to speak German there, but English should really be standard. Maybe that will change a little with Hyatt. :) Whenever there were problems, they reacted immediately as always. I only had one problem once, that the door to my room could not be locked. Within 10 minutes, a technician came and took care of it. TOP! Oh, and yes, I especially want to mention Orlando and Ricardo. Simply the best managers there! Always a smile on their face, always kind words on their lips and simply wonderful people! Thank you! <3 Some other managers, without naming names, often walk around with a face that even makes me, as a guest, afraid of this boss. It would be nice if all managers could adapt to Orlando and Ricardo. ;) Additionally, I would also like to mention Melissa and Carlos, who work in the Sports Bar at Esmeralda! Also great employees who absolutely have to be mentioned! :) <3 And "Konny", an employee at the bar in the casino or actually mostly working in the Sports Bar in the Village. She has another name which unfortunately I no longer remember, but her nickname is Konny. :) However, I do have to make one note: You should not rely on certain personal assurances/promises from the staff. What I mean exactly by that, without naming names: Someone told me that he would come to work 2 hours earlier in order to chat with me a bit more. He then came 10 minutes before my pickup and did not even apologize. The hotel cannot do anything about that, I just want to say and warn others that such promises are often not kept, because it was not the first time I have experienced something like this. I was also promised that he would take care of something for me after my departure. Even that has still not happened 2 weeks after my departure. So you should not place too much value on their promises. When you are there on site and give tips, they do almost everything and promise everything too. But in the end, it seems they are only pretending after all. Unfortunately, that is the dark side of the Dominican Republic, which I have now experienced several times. And it hurts, because I am a person who is reliable and honest and who places a lot of value on these qualities in people. When you then realize that you are being lied to or that promises are not kept, it is more than sad. 5. Food & Drinks Food: Absolutely TOP and nothing to complain about. So much selection, whether fruit, juices, cold cuts, cheese, even salmon and caviar were available almost every morning in the buffet restaurant. By far the best à la carte restaurant for me was Yurta. Truly amazing and so delicious that I had to get a second portion, even though I was basically already full. XD Drinks: Also very delicious and a large selection. However, the best drinks are at the bars in the lobby and in Limbo. The coffee in the coffee shop is also outstandingly good. Best change: There is finally Coca Cola now and not just Pepsi like before! THANK YOU! <3 6. Pool & Beach The availability of loungers was significantly increased, and you could really notice that. Every day there were countless free loungers, even though the hotel was fully booked. The pool staff, especially Melvin, was also always helpful when it came to finding or moving a lounger or umbrella, etc. Ramon at the towels is simply a wonderful person as well. 7. Resort & Atmosphere I still like the resort very, very much. However, a bit of the flair was taken away by the renovation of the Punta Cana hotel, the theater, the lobby and the missing disco. Naturally, there were also fewer staff members around and fewer guests. In the evenings, as always, I usually walked down the path to the Village, and normally that path is full of staff and guests, which was now much less the case. And the missing disco was definitely a drawback, which I felt quite strongly. I did know how to help myself and keep myself occupied elsewhere, but it was still very sad that there was no disco. Well, there was one, outdoors, but of course that was not comparable. The fact that the disco is now supposedly going to charge an entrance fee in the future and that drinks in the disco are also supposed to cost money is, in my opinion, unacceptable, and I will follow this very closely and, if necessary, unfortunately perhaps eventually look for other hotels. For me, the disco has always been and still is one of the reasons for going to Bahia. But when entrance fees and paying for drinks come into play, the fun eventually stops, in my opinion. 8. Entertainment & Activities Animation: I have to say there has been a big improvement when it comes to animation and so on! Many more games, many more activities. The table tennis table, a basketball hoop by the pool and and and. So many possibilities, great! Someone really deserves a lot of praise for all these good changes! :) Only this silly "clapping" for every participant is still annoying. ;) With 10-15 players, then 3 rounds, etc., that is simply too much, I think. But maybe that is just my opinion. Also, I would like to join in with some games, but they sometimes last an hour or so and that is really too long for me. I think the number of rounds should be reduced when there are more participants, or people should be asked what they want. And depending on where you play, on the beach for example, you might not have anything to drink with you if you forget, and then that can already be bad in the heat. In the animation team, Evelin clearly stood out. Great dancer, always in a great mood and a cheerful soul. But Melasa or something similar was also great, and especially Franceso/Anthony, the DJ. A top person, a great guy, always in a good mood and always friendly, nice and really never in a bad mood. However, maybe the playlists should be changed more often. Many songs repeated themselves, not only daily, but several times a day. And Aqua Gym was always done to the same music. Why not use a different song every day or every 2nd day? The exercises can also be done to other songs. Hearing the same songs every day during the gymnastics was already tiring and boring to me, even though many of them were nice. But there are so many beautiful songs. And if you need help with that, I am happy to help and back then I always supplied people with playlists and could still do that now. Just talk to me. ;) Disco: I have already said something about the missing disco, here again is my text: However, a bit of the flair was taken away by the renovation of the Punta Cana hotel, the theater, the lobby and the missing disco. Naturally, there were also fewer staff members around and fewer guests. In the evenings, as always, I usually walked down the path to the Village, and normally that path is full of staff and guests, which was now much less the case. And the missing disco was definitely a drawback, which I felt quite strongly. I did know how to help myself and keep myself occupied elsewhere, but it was still very sad that there was no disco. Well, there was one, outdoors, but of course that was not comparable. The fact that the disco is now supposedly going to charge an entrance fee in the future and that drinks in the disco are also supposed to cost money is, in my opinion, unacceptable, and I will follow this very closely and, if necessary, unfortunately perhaps eventually look for other hotels. For me, the disco has always been and still is one of the reasons for going to Bahia. But when entrance fees and paying for drinks come into play, the fun eventually stops, in my opinion. Shows/Live Music: These were also great and here, too, there were improvements, in some cases significant ones! I found the shows truly great, all of them! The singers were significantly better than before! All of them! It was a dream to watch the shows! Excursions: I did a Saona trip once with Amstar. We wanted to do a VIP tour with 10 people and although we mentioned it several times, we then sat with 50 people on the bus and on the boat. In the end it was still a great tour and I liked it very much, but people should be told the truth. If you ask 3 times and are promised a 10-person tour, or you specifically ask for that and then it is not one, that is bad. I believe that Amstar does not offer a 10-person tour and that they simply wanted to sell the tour because otherwise we would have booked elsewhere, but that really should not be the case. That was disappointing and seemed misleading. Sorry. Nevertheless, I have to say that, as mentioned, I really liked the tour, and I specifically want to mention Blady from Amstar, a super nice employee! 9. Location & Surroundings Distance to the airport still approx. 25-30 minutes. ;) There are shopping opportunities in the resort, although they are usually quite expensive. Otherwise, you can also go to Jumbo, a huge supermarket. However, depending on negotiation, it costs around 20 dollars per ride, so 40 dollars there and back. In return, if you want, you can also explore the area there a little. I found the safety both inside and outside the hotel to be more than safe and somehow even significantly safer than in Germany. ;) 10. Value for Money I consider the value for money to be good or appropriate. However, the disco will soon also factor into that and when I consider that I take more tip money with me every time ... difficult. If necessary, better to raise the salaries and the hotel prices and no longer expect tips. ;) The problem is simply also that when you know so many people after so many visits, you want to give something to everyone, but that would simply be too much of a good thing. Unfortunately, I am not a millionaire. And so it also happens that you give less to others whom you otherwise gave more to, in order to have something for others who otherwise received nothing or little, etc. And since Canadians and Americans often tip a lot, I think it is noticeable, also in the service a little. At least that was sometimes my impression. 11. Handling of Problems As already described, everything was great. A softer pillow was brought immediately, the door was clarified within 10 minutes with a technician who came by, etc. Unfortunately, there was no compensation for the missing disco, although I had asked several times in advance regarding this. That was already a shame and I would have wished that they had accommodated me a little. 12. Special Features As already mentioned, the renovation of the Punta Cana hotel, the lobby of the Punta Cana hotel, the disco in the Village and the theater were, in my opinion, restrictive. On the one hand, I liked that the shows took place in the Village instead of in the small theater, I actually found that better because people gathered there and there was more going on there. There was no construction noise for me in Ambar, but it did somewhat dampen the atmosphere that I usually had when I was there. It was noticeably different. I arranged myself well with it and accepted it, but it was still different and not as great as usual without the renovations. But of course, they have to be done, I understand that, but it was just different because of that. I have already mentioned a lot about the staff above and named names in the respective areas. ;) 13. Recommendation Yes, although I have to say that I will follow the matter with the disco very closely and also read and follow the other changes and guest opinions, to see what else might change due to Hyatt or in general. Other hotels also have good reviews and even though I know everyone at Bahia, which is great, maybe at some point it will be time to try something new. But for now, I am still in love with Bahia. ;) It is also up to you yourselves, meaning the Bahia management and staff, that it stays that way. ;) From my point of view, the hotel is suitable for truly everyone. Whether single, couple, group, you always find connection and always have plenty to do and are always busy if you want, or alone if that is what you wish. :) You can party, but you do not have to, everything is possible, nothing is mandatory, there is something for everyone, in my opinion.

less

“Great trip!”

We went with 4 other friends, (a return trip with this group of 6 we there last Ma and trip #7 for my husband and I at this complex (2 times Ámbar ,4 aquamarine and 1 turquesa ) Resort is clean, very well maintained beautiful. Staff are fantastic, food at à la Carte (especially meat and Flame st… more

We went with 4 other friends, (a return trip with this group of 6 we there last Ma and trip #7 for my husband and I at this complex (2 times Ámbar ,4 aquamarine and 1 turquesa ) Resort is clean, very well maintained beautiful. Staff are fantastic, food at à la Carte (especially meat and Flame steak houses) were Delish. Buffets were ok, wide selections didn’t partake only breakfasts. Coffee shop at the Ambar is nice, great selection on coffee and snacks. Sports bar at the ambar has great pub style food, and a good pina colada 😛 highly recommend you check out the sports bar. We found the Entertainment at pool was slightly better at the aquamarine pool his trip, a more active pool/atmosphere Beach had a lot of sargassum but it’s unavoidable you could see it coming in in mass amounts. Staff were continuously going up and down the beach with tractors, removing what they could. Continuously making the effort to keep it as clean as possible…

less

“Great time............”

Great time, lovely resort. Not to far from the airport, about 20 minutes. The beach was fine definitely not walkable this time of year with all the seaweed. The food was good, Yurta and Limbo were my favorites. The rooms were great, huge and one of the best hotel showers, however the ac is not c… more

Great time, lovely resort. Not to far from the airport, about 20 minutes. The beach was fine definitely not walkable this time of year with all the seaweed. The food was good, Yurta and Limbo were my favorites. The rooms were great, huge and one of the best hotel showers, however the ac is not cold but the ceiling fan helps. The resort is not huge so don't worry where your room is, you can get anywhere pretty quick. I would definitely go back again

less