What a beautiful resort. Cannot say enough about the friendly, hard working staff. A special thanks to Kassandra the activities director, Juan Carlos an energetic water aerobics instructor, Dorling a great bartender and Angel and AltaGracia the pool side waiter and waitress who always make sure you have a beverage in front of you. The rooms were spacious and we had no problem with the bed being to hard, the room did have a musty smell but that was our only complaint. We ate at all restaurants except Spice and Barcalona, went to the Agave twice and the food was very good at all, the breakfast at Toscana was wonderful,lots to choose from and fresh omelets, french toast, pancakes and waffles prepared fresh for you each morning. The pool is fabulous, would advise to go early as towels and chairs seem to be taken pretty quickly. Red flag at the beach while we were there so only walked in to our knees but it was warm. We went with 3 other couples and we all would definetly go back, you're treated like royalty, we stayed in bldg. 12 which is about a 4 minute walk from the lobby but scenery is beautiful. Shows are outstanding as well. Just a wonderful, wonderful place and everyone goes out of their way to meet your every need.

My wife and I just spent a week at Excellence Punta Cana. Almost every February for the last 20+ years we have gone to where its warm. We have been on land and sea, been to some nice accomandations and some not nice accomadations. This is the first time we will considerer returning to the same place.Anyone reading this probably knows that the resort has 8 restaurants, we ate a six. The French restaurant was equal quality to Zagat rated restaurants in NYC, the same could be said of the Italian and Mexican, the oriental was good but not of that quality. I was disappointed by the grill room, I ordered a T-bone it was lacking, but others who ordered filet mignons or NY strip liked theres, my wife who doesn't eat red meat good two large marinated chicken breasts that were nicely done. We were both disappointed by the lobster house, remember Caribbean lobsters are much smaller than cold water lobsters, also the plates came out cold. Also I should mention that all the restaurants had vegetarian options, and the Italian restaurant even had a seperate vegetarian menu (obviously that excludes the lobster house and grill by there very nature). Breakfast was done buffet style that included omelet stations and a waffle station ( egg white omelets are available). Lunch could be had at the buffet, the grill, or on the beachwhere they had burgers , cut up chicken, hot dogs and pizza. I can tell you the burgers were worthy of any burger joint. As far as liquor, the standard was mid-shelf to top shelf(absolute, smirnoff, tanquery, jose curervo ....) The same with the liquoers, the real brands not cheapos. There were people all over to bring you drinks.
The rooms were nicely done, well maintained, and every room had a hot tub.Try to get a first floor room they all had a small private area, with a hammock.. 2nd and 3rd story rooms had small balconies.
For the shows they bring in professional dancers and entetainers rather than making there own staff do it. They are not as well produced as cruise line shows but better than most land shows. There is the typical daytime events as other resorts, but they do provide a free half hour of horse back riding, and the sports and watersports desks are fully stocked with decent equipment..
The grounds and beaches are impeccable, if you want a spot on the beach under a thatch umbrella get up early and put your towels on the chaises (what else is new). Also several representatives from the various tour companies are there if you choose, to book an excursion of grounds.
One thing to note, the resort is far from the airport and somewhat isolated there is no town or shops to walk around in walking distance
Overall, a great place and a great trip!!!

This resort is truly beautiful! We traveled as four couples and had a great time! We stayed in Building 3 & 4- quiet and serene- very beautiful gardens. We thought the people were wonderful, the service was excellente, the food was awesome and the rooms and beds were so comfortable! The beach was fun and the pulapas ( couchs) and thatched umbrellas were plentiful! After reading about the choppy waves and wind, we were forewarned and that was the only drawback- can't just walk out into the ocean and relax. Robert (PR) was so helpful, especially after my husband ruptured his disk in his back and had to be carried down from the second floor and into an ambulance. Our worst fears were realized ( as.. what if we have a medical emergency outside the US??) well.. it happened, and after three days in the Punta Cana hospital and numerous taxi trips( me) back and forth, we survived it and thanks to the Excellence staff, helped make it easier! They called the hospital to check on my husband and was always inquiring about him with the group we came with! And folks- this is a big resort... lots of guests to take care of! Very impressed! We so enjoyed Omar and Felix and the other guys @ the beach bar, Elias in "The Toscani" Tito was our main man on the beach!!! Super gregarious and always a riot!!! Don't know how he remembers everyones names!!!

We thought the food was excellent for the most part! Really liked the special dining service, without the hassle of a reservation. We never had to wait long at all!!! The food @ Spice, Agave, Chez Isabelle, Oreganos, The Grill, Barcelona, etc was wonderful! The dinner @ Lobster house.. so-so in our opinion. We celebrated a birthday feast @ the Barcelona and they came out singing , and a personalized cake!!!! As for the reviews about the horrible food... realllyyy??? what planet do you come from? I realize that we all have our own tastes, but how can you complain about the wonderful food and the classy service that they give?

The bellhops were so helpful and greeted my hubby warmly when we got back from Bavaro Hospital... everyone seem to know about his medical adventure!! The head desk were always helpful and the maids really kept a handle on tidying up after all of us!!! The employees in the restaurants were so classy and nice! The Dominicans are a beautiful and graceful people!

All in all, this resort is AMAZING!!!! Would highly recommend it!!! Even with our medical situation, we enjoyed the last few days and made it back home safely!!! The distance to the Excellence is a bit far, but it's definitely worth it!!! The walking path was beautiful, with flamingos, ducks, geese, parrots, turtles, etc.

The massage I received was "excellente!" Being on an island during the Super Bowl was a riot- how many people can say they watched the game on a screen between two palm trees, with a full moon overhead! And a downpour @ halftime!!! Priceless!

PS: Even though we love the seven mile beach in Negril, Jamaica- not being hassled constantly by vendors at the Excellence was so refreshing for us!! Endless beach area- room for everyone!

IN CONCLUSION: we've traveled quite a bit over the years and I rely heavily on Trip Advisor to make my decisions... I always intend to contribute my own, but never did. This time, I felt strongly to do so.. My hubby's ruptured disk was a major deal and I just felt viewers should know that when these things do happen- we were taken care of and greatly helped.

Property is beautiful, people are wonderful, service is excellent. The pool water was too cold to enjoy, as evidenced by the resort being full and the pool being empty. Restaurants were great with the exception of the Lobster House being over rated. Breakfast buffet while it offered everything the food taste for omelettes, bacon and home fries was horrible. Perhaps it's the oil they use to cook who knows. There were lots of other selections so we didn't starve, lol.