My wife and I were placed at this resort via the Apple Vacations - 6 Apple Square Deal for our Honeymoon from 2/2/12 - 2/9/12. It's important to note that the other potential hotels listed on our itinerary were that of; Dreams Palm Beach, Iberostar Grand Hotel Bavaro, NOW Larimar, Paradisus Palma Real, Hard Rock Punta Cana & Riu Palace Bavaro. We've since been informed that Apple Vacations owns a stake in the Dreams properties located in Punta Cana, DR of which we were not made aware of prior to our trip. With that said, let's get to the review...
Service: B - We arrived at the hotel at around 3:30pm only to be told our room was not ready. Keep in mind, that the posted hotel check-in time is 3:00pm. My wife and I decided to grab a late lunch in the meantime. After lunch, approximately 4:15pm, we informed that our room was STILL not ready. We decided to walk the property to become better situated with our surroundings while we waited for our room. We did not get into our room until 5:30pm and it was a complete joke. Please refer to the section titled "Rooms" further down in the review. With the exception of the check-in fiasco, the hotel staff members were very friendly and courteous.
Value: B - If you are budget-conscious and looking for a mediocre resort that is family friendly, secluded, and ridiculously outdated, then this resort is for you.
Sleep Quality: F - Our room contained mold and mildew (Room 9117) and smelled like an old musty basement. My wife has severe allergies to mold and mildew and had to take plenty of Zyrtec and Benadryll to be able to sleep comfortably. The beds were ok but the mold/mildew problem overshadowed anything remotely positive. Also, the A/C was about as efficient as a small window unit trying to cool down a 5000 sq ft. mansion.
Cleanliness: C - The hotel lobby is kept very clean but outside of that, they could use a lot of bleach to counteract the mold/mildew issue prevalent in our guestroom and throughout the facility.
Location: C - If you're looking to be close to shopping and local culture, this resort is not for you. It is secluded, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but something to be cognizant of if you're looking to experience the local shops, people, and culture. Don't be afraid to leave the resort and mingle with the locals as they are wonderful. With that said, be prepared to bring extra cash for the taxis into town as the shopping inside the resort is less than desirable.
Rooms: F - Severe mold and mildew issue in our room (Room 9117). The room decor is very dated. The couch, curtains and comforter were stained. The small desk in the room had broken drawers. The bathroom had visible mold in and around the shower. We even noticed mold on the wall beneath the smoke detector. Again, the room had a musty smell that is on par with an old wet basement. A little bleach would do this place some good.
Beverage Selection: B - The beverage selection was decent. Keep in mind, that if you do not specify a better brand than the Dominican equivalent, you will not get it. With that said, the bartenders are extremely friendly and quick to make the drinks.
Overall: C - This hotel is NOT worthy of a 6 Apple rating as the facility is very dated and in need of some new paint and a good ol' bleach scrub to combat the mold/mildew issue. I will say that despite this negative review, the hotel staff were wonderful and always had a smile on their faces. However, I cannot comprehend how this resort is rated as a 6 Apple as the other hotels I mentioned at the beginning of this review are far superior. If Apple Vacations and the Dreams properties have some sort of alliance/ownership stake, they need to inform their customers ahead of time. Vacationers BEWARE.
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