this was our first time in dom rep and the gran ventana2011, and me and my husband have booked to go back again this september 2012, as this was the best holiday we have been on., nothing too much trouble for them , food excellent, service was the best ever , pool was very .clean , rooms were fab and its right on the beach , the 3 resturants there are also the best didnt feel like you were in the hotel. waitress service fab , we went on a few trips which again were very good value for money and a fab day out. we really couldnt find a fault in the dom rep its a huge pity people expect more and put bad reveiws on here because it was pure paradise and september cant come quick enough to return and see all the happy and very welcoming staff i just hope they remember us .

Just got back from a 2 week trip to this hotel. They claim it's a 4.5 star, I say it's a 3 star. The food was great probably the best I've had at an all inclusive but the hotel it self lacks.
It's very difficult to get bottled water in your room. The first week we were there they had issues with the water at the hotel and were constantly turning it off. It appears that they cater to people from the east which is understandable because they are so close but everyone that came from Vancouver got put in the set of rooms farthest from everything. The locals bother you as soon as you step on the beach which was always windy.
The one thing that was outstanding was the entertainment staff. 3 were great and I want to mention them by name, Junior, Manny and Carlos aka Donkey. These 3 made our 2 week trip great. The shows were great and being at the resort for 2 weeks never saw the same show twice which was nice. They are great with Kids and the kids club is amazing. All in all I had a great time but I wouldn't go back to this resort.

We stayed here from 19 of Jan to 2/of Feb We had a great time we met such lovely people Diane and Richard Maxine and Neal and Diane and Jim and Jeremy hope you are all well the Hotel was clean and when we arrived we asked to change our room as we had been given one over the pool the staff could not be more helpful they gave us a room that had been upgraded and we could see the the sea perfect I can recommend room number 1217. The food was good there is a good choice and the resteraunts were very good we liked the Italian best but the surf and turf at the beach grill was excellent to. People have mentioned the Beach sellers they are just trying to earn a living and after a few days they left you alone and we had a laugh with them. Rudy and Ceaser who sell trips on the Beach are very nice and helpful Tubi who is Beach security was Fantastic he could not have been more helpful he would always get you a sun bed on the Beach. Au gusto the Resteraunt Manager was great to nothing to much trouble.The Beach was Fab and was spotless due to the hard work every morning it was raked and was the best. We did the VIP lounge at Manchester well worth it will always do it from now on you can have toast pastries coffee tea and alcohol if you want you just help yourself.We also parked at the Airport and that was very smooth to just park get on the bus and you are at the terminal.The other staff at the Hotel that I want to mention are the Gardeners they work very hard and they keep the grounds lovely we had a fab Holiday and I would go back to this Hotel.

Overall our week at the Gran Ventana was a pleasant experience. The food was good, the service was good and the hotel was nice. Not what I would consider a 4+ Star quality by any means, but it served it's purpose well. If I were to go back to the Dominican, I would likely stay here again. We went out on several day trips and talking to resort guests from other resorts, this one was pretty good in the big picture. Others talked about locals coming in on weekends and crowding the buffet areas. This was not a problem. We went for meals at various times and always were seated quickly.

The drink selection was quite good. Lots of people brought their own travel mugs - for 2 reasons - it keeps your drink cool longer and you end up with a much larger drink - you don't have to make as many trips to the bar - not sure if this is a pro or con. . . the smaller glasses help you keep track of your drinks much easier!

There is a safe in each room. It is a good idea to pay the $16 for the lock and key. It gives you peace of mind and if you don't and something goes missing the hotel will not be responsible. We did not have any problems with things going missing - left camera's out etc. and they were always there when we can back to room.

The Pros

The rooms were very clean. The food in the 3 restaurants were extremely good and the buffet had a good selection to please everyone's tastes. House keeping always did a good job of making up the room each day (we did leave a small tip every day). The mini fridge was restocked each day.

The resort did supply shampoo and conditioner as well as hand soap. Towels were replaced when asked. There was a hair dryer in the bath room. There are more English TV channels than I expected.

This resort is in the Playa Dorada complex, so the entire area is quite safe. There is also a shopping plaza which is about a 2 minute walk. . . free WIFI is available at the plaza.

The beach is clean, the swimming not the best at this beach - looks weedy in spots. Lots of beach chairs, was never a problem finding one.

The Beach Restaurant had a wonderful lunch selection.

The cons - not bad enough to spoil your holiday, but sometimes a little frustrating.

If you plan on taking any day trips - book through your tour operator - they are insured. The guys on the beach may be a few dollars cheaper, but there are no guarantees! Bring an alarm clock - the only clock we could find on the resort was in the front lobby. We followed the directions given to set a wake up call - it did not work. The next day we called the front desk to set up a wake up call - this worked, but was usually 20 minutes late. So, to give peace of mind bring an alarm clock so you don't miss your bus!!

If you like to use a hair dryer - bring your own!! The one in the room only worked for about 20 seconds on high and maybe 1.5 minutes on medium. Works well to dry the steam off the mirror and that's about it.

The quiet pool is not always quiet. . . it is supposed to be for adults only, but when guests bring their kids to play there, nothing is done about it.

If you are an NON smoker - like us - we found ourselves moving around quite a bit. Seems the only area that has smoke free zones is the dining rooms. So when someone settles in beside you at the pool and and starts smoking - you may want to move somewhere else.

There is a charge for interent use in the lobby. It is not free. We found free wifi in the plaza just a few minutes walk down the street.

We had rain for a couple of days and during these days the sewer smell in the street area was quite strong - the down fall was we had to walk through this area to get to the restaurants and beach and main bar. . . only bad for about a minute of your walk - but not pleasant.

In the plaza which is just minutes away, there is a disco. this runs until the wee hours of the morning. So if your room is in the Beata complex, you will hear the boom boom boom of the base all night long - even with your patio door closed.

The rooms have tile floors, so if there are noisy people in the room above, you will hear every noise they make.

The rooms in the Beata section have not been updated in quite some time. There are not in bad shape, but show their age. They have the old style TV's and are quite small - but not really there to watch TV.

You only get one room key - this is an inconvenience more than anything. . . you just need to plan well.