I will start by saying I am shocked at some of the negative reviews this hotel has received recently as we had none of the issues mentioned! Our room was very clean and comfortable, the food was wonderful and the staff fantastic! (I work in the customer service industry) We stayed one week, arriving early Monday morning (1am.) and leaving later on the following Sunday(8:30pm.) There was low occupancy during the week so dinner's were rotated between the three restaurants with breakfast and luch available at the Calipso buffet daily. The staff went out of their way to make sure we were happy and had everything we wanted or needed. We felt like we were welome old friends who had come to visit. Hot and cold running water was available at all times and our rooms were kept very clean by the housekeeping staff. The only problem we had was that our safe was jammed in the locked position. The technician was at our room within 15-20 minutes, got it open and the front desk immediately replaced the locking mechanism. Our room was located directing behind the main pool bar and even there, we had no excessive noise problems that bothered our sleep. Yes, they had music on for various events but it was stopped at a reasonable hour.
Considering that this is a 3 star hotel, it went far beyond my expectations. Two years ago I stayed at a 5 star resort in Boca Chica which was nice, but we had to change our initial rooms as they were flooded and had a very musty/damp smell. I enjoyed myself there but have no great desire to return either. Fun Tropicale totally captured my heart and I am already planning my next trip there. We made new friend with other guests from all over the world and several staff who now feel almost like family to us. A special thanks to Riley, Jessie, Leo, Lucy, "Steady" Eddie and Mario for taking such good care of us! I am ABSOLUTELY recommending this hotel to my friends!

We traded our Marriott timeshare for what we thought was a Silver quality resort. What we got was a resort that was not a 4 star, not a three star, but rather, a place that is just barely hanging on. The resort is comprised of timeshares and a hotel. The hotel is closed. Both timeshare companies pulled out as of Jan.1, 2011. The rooms are just not updated, but they are not maintained. We had two adjoining one bedroom suites. The air conditioning in both rooms did not work properly. The doors and drawers on the cabinets were crooked. The lights were very dim(and we paid $40.00 for electricity). We had bulbs out and had difficulty getting them replaced. The tub/shower in one room would not drain properly and the toilet did not flush well. The caulk looked like a kid did it. The beds were firm and the pillows so thin that it didn't seem like you were using anything. The rooms smelled damp all the time.

We did not have hot water most of the day on one of the days because they ran out of propane, however, they told us their was a problem with the gas main-one of many lies. Twice we didn't have water for a period of time.

Food. We had to pay for "all inclusive". The restaurants were not opened when they were suppose to be open. The food was not very good-especially anything beef. I don't know about the pork because I don't eat pork. The french toast was like a brick on the ends and stuck to the serving pan. They would run out of things: butter, syrup, diet soda, etc. All the meats and poultry were overcooked. The pineapple was really good. We had to pay an extra $30 a person for New Year's Eve. It was a nice spread, but not worth the money. I don't expect "top shelf" alcohol, but what they served was below "bottom shelf". They didn't have any tequilla at all.

The staff was very friendly; however, they were not always honest. They tried to tell us we reached our limit on our credit card, which was not true. They also gave other excuses to other guest why their credit card did not work-they were just trying to get cash from the guests. There is not ATM on the property. You can walk about 10 minutes to the beach or ride in a cart pulled by a tractor. The beach was nice enough, but had a lot of sand flea. The worst part of the beach is all the people trying to sell things to you. The fitness center at the resort is in very poor shape.

The Puerto Plata/Playa Dorado area is in serious economic situation. Many resorts are closed. People try selling you timeshares, condos, horse and buggy rides(it is sad to see the condition of the horses), etc as you walk through Playa Dorado. A lot of money was put into Punta Cana and this area is suffering.

First off, I have to say that almost all of the reviews are correct. We experienced poor service, filthy rooms (yes, we were moved on the first day), inedible food, and even less consumable alcohol. We also met some very nice staff people (including the taxi driver, Steady Eddy who drove us all around Puerto Playa), and that's about all I can say in regards to this hotel.

I could go on for pages recounting the experience we had at this resort, but I will let it suffice to explain what I perceive. It seems like this is a property trying with every ounce of their being to survive even though no one is investing in its continued success. We were completely unable to procure a reservation at any of the restaurants, until the staff recognized that we were unhappy. At that point, a reservation for the Italian restaurant magically appeared. We didn't actually stay to find out if the food was any better than what we had eaten on the buffet for the last three days. We moved to a resort down the beach (Barcelo) and found it quite enjoyable.

The property is in a sad state of affairs. It seems like the hotel is about to close and trying to suck every last penny out before the bank takes it. I don't know if the staff is in on the scam or not, but I would stay far away.

Let me be frank.... If you're the type of person that enjoys taking budget holidays, drinking loads, and partying non-stop then this place may be you cup of tea. I went for a quiet, relaxing trip for a week with my girlfriend in November but unfortunately it was not at all what were told before we left. Let me make it abundantly clear that I acknowledge the fact that what we visiting a developing country and that some of young men and woman working 12 hour shifts and aren't even earning a wage but merely working for experience and food to bring home to their families. None the less, there were many flaws with the establishment that I felt needed improvement.

The food was not bad, they had a decent selection but certainly not the most appetizing. The al a cartes on the other hand were very good. The drinks were average, I mostly drink beer and I really enjoyed the el presidente which is pretty well all they serve as far as beer goes. The mixed drinks I thought sucked but they are not my forte so don't take my word for it.

The location isn't too bad with respect to the distance to downtown (maybe 20-30 mins) and to the beach (5 mins). The one thing I never realized is how windy it gets down on the beaches, not to mention once you are down there, there are about 100 vendors walking around peddling their wares to the people on the beach. The other thing you'll need to deal with is the REALLY persistent time share/beach cruise people.... The epitome of high pressure sales. But as previously mentioned, these are people working hard to try and hash out a living in a developing country so I couldn't help but empathize.

I managed a few excursions outside the resort and even got in eighteen holes at the adjacent golf course... Though I should note my poor score should not reflect the standard of the resort :)

our room was ok, but I wouldn't rate it much higher than a modest motel room. The bathroom and poorly tiled floor was reason enough to wear sandals constantly but there were always fresh linens and the beds were reasonably comfortable.

My biggest complaint would probably be the pools. The "family" pool was totaly overrun by children and had incessant techno music blaring. Whereas the quiet adult pool was a highly sought after refuge from the aforementioned family pool resulting in a severe overcrowding issue unless one managed to arrive early enough to claim a pool chair for the rest of the day.

For the amount of money it cost to stay at this resort and for the amount of night time entertainment that is available in Playa Dorada, I believe this resort would be perfect for a group of frat boys on spring break, however if you are seeking a relaxing Holliday with as little distraction as possible you may want to consider staying at another resort. Please keep in mind that these resorts we stay at are like a fairy tale for most of the inhabitants of the Dominican Republic that they could only hope to work at let alone stay at.