This was our 4th time at the Ambar and 17th in the D.R. We find the Ambar fabulous value for the money. The rooms are always spotless as are the grounds. The staff is wonderful.. Everywhere you look, someone is working on something .. it's just pristine. We didn't find the buffet as fabulous as other times, but still well above par for most other all in-clusives. The resort was fully booked but we were always able to find a beach chair and palapa and we didn't generally head to the beach til 10 or so. Even the restaurants were always able to accommodate you .. so it was great and we really enjoyed ourselves.

The con was I emailed the resort a few weeks before and a week before asking for a couple of things .. 1) advising it was our 25th wedding anniversary and requested a King room rather than a room with two doubles and I wanted to arrange a dinner on the beach (which they offer). I had no reply to either email. Arrived to find we were giving a room with two doubles, no dinner arranged .. yet some of the others who arrived same time on first visit received King room ..LOL but there were two couples ... I guess they were supposed to all share the bed. However, when we went to the front desk they were understandably unable to change our room as we arrived after 11pm and there were no rooms to be had .. but by 11am the next morning they happily changed rooms for us and all was good. No dinner on the beach .. but that's not that big of a deal. They were so nice about it .. and so helpful.

Now the Beware part ... when someone approaches you about the new "area" of the resort called Priviledge Club .. run run run. They're going to tell you that they're opening a new area and you will get all kinds of extra services etc ... blah blah blah ... You can come and see a preview over at Esmerelda and if you just come and see the preview so you can know for your next trip they are going to give you some excursion coupon etc ... well it is NOT a new area of the resort .. it's a TIME SHARE pitch! You get dragged into a room of sales people who try to sell you a $22K timeshare .. now I'm not saying it is a good price or not .. but do not lie to me .. don't try to sell me something like that while I'm here paying to enjoy my vacation and not have to think ... and then tell me how stupid I am for not understanding what a good deal it .. We were accosted by these people our entire vacation ... got to the point we didn't want to go to the lobby area or walk around the resort .. so we just stayed in our little world by the beach because we got tired of it.

Other than that ... we'll be back to this resort in the fall with friends .. enjoy it .. it's lovely

Ambar is the "adults only" part of the resort. The grounds were impeccable. Our group loved the facility. As in all of the All inclusives, some of the food was mediocure at best. There were several restaurants where the food was very good. The Gourmat was one of those. The bar-b-que, compared to others we have been at, was very good. The Mediterranean restaurant was terrible. I actually had a second meal brought to me, which wasn't a whole lot better than the first.
The service by all the employees was fantastic, especially our maid serice and our butler Roberto.
The beach drink service was great. Kalvin was always there to take our orders and very quick to return. The pool cocktail waitresses were great also, but we mainly used the swimup bar. The alcohol was top shelf and they were very generous with it in all the bars.
The tram service, to other parts of the resort, was very well run, with very little waiting.
The Apple reps were great. Adam gave us our intro. talk and he was right on with many of his tips and observations. The Apple bus escorts were very helpful and upbeat.

Just returned from the Ambar, was there Feb 2 - 9, 2012 and what a great resort it was. I read the reviews before I went and knew what to expect from the adults only resort. Let me just say you get what you pay for. I personally felt this was a great resort who catered to everyone.

When we arrived at the resort we got a welcome drink and were checked in very fast. We had emailed two weeks prior requesting a specific building and a la cart restaurants. We didn't get the building we wanted but we did get the floor and half of the restaurants we requested, which is pretty good considering the resort was sold out. The Ambar resort is the perfect size so it didn't matter that we didn't get the building we wanted, actually happier we didn't. The buidlings closer to the pool are more noisier so if you want to relax more than try and get in the middle.

The staff are amazing, they are willing to help and make your vacation a dream come true. The grounds of the resort are kept to perfection at all times and security is there to keep you safe. Now the chair game. If you want a lounger by the pool then you will have to be there by 7:30 in the morning at the very latest and you have to stay there till at least 8:05 so security does not take away your belongings. If you want a lounger on the beach I found there were always plenty for you to choose from.

Food was terrific at most of the restaurants. The buffet is one of the best I have had with many types of food to choose from. Many people will complain the food was okay but come on, they have to cook for hundreds of people with different tastes, you can't please everyone. The best a la carte is Don Pedro's, excellent food and service. Book the Japanese a la carte in the Bavaro if you can, the food and service there was excellent also. The Italian restaurant on the Ambar was alright but nothing to write about, pick one on the other resorts if you can.

I would definitely stay at this resort again and would recommend it to anyone. Just remember no vacation is ever perfect and remember to have fun and relax. Your on Vacation!

This was our second stay at the Ambar and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone. When we registered, we had a concern regarding our room. We spoke to Cesar at the front desk, he resolved it quickly and we were happy with the results. We found the food to be very good with lots of selection. If you couldn't find anything on the buffet that you liked then you should stay home! Make sure you make a reservation at the Don Pablo restaurant. I don't think you'll be disappointed.
The only thing we felt was different from last year was the service at the buffet at the beach. Either they have less staff or this group aren't as attentive. We also felt their were fewer cocktail waitresses at the lobby bar.
The beach and grounds are very well maintained.
A warning about sunburn. If you are fair skinned make sure you have sunscreen above 50. I burnt the tops of my feet walking the beach for 20 minutes. Another day, I forgot to put sunscreen on my legs and ended up burnt after another short walk on the beach. Buy your sunscreen at home as the stronger stuff was $35. at the gift shop.
Beware of the vendors by the theatre. My wife admired a piece of native rock and the first price $135. By the time we left, he was willing to give it to us for $20!
We would go back another year as it has everything we like in a resort.