We booked our stay for a week at the end of January for my husbands 70th birthday, we have been here several times over the past 10 years and it has always been great.The food and the service in eating establishments good.The service at the front desk is horrible now, the front desk staff use to be so friendly and accomodating of guest needs not anymore they were rude and very un-accomodating. The grounds are still very beautiful and taken care of, the hotel has gone down tremendously over the years, shabby curtains, shabby bedding,water leaks in bathroom,bugs etc.With a little TLC this place could be great again, and a staff change at the front desk would put it back on top again.Make sure you rent a car and get out and see the surronding area, playa grande still the best.

We booked our stay at the Tangerine because it was close to our friends apartment. I read the reviews before booking so my expectations were low, and this hotel was still a disappointment. I only ate at the hotel once (a muffin and a cup of coffee) and it wasn't good. The muffin was cold and hard, and the cream for the coffee was watered down. The common ares were well kept, but the rooms were something straight out of the 80s. The hotel was clean, but that didn't makeup for the outdated rooms, bad food, and lack of hot water. If you're looking for a quiet relaxing vacation in the Dominican, rent a condo.

we stayed here may 2011 and had a great time its a very clean resort the staff work really hard ,they are friendly and keen to help you the room we had was very nice and over looked the sea ,it was cleaned daily ,the food was good although at times semmed the same but then im a picky eater the only down side is the beach sellers but if you tell them no several times they will go away .overall a great holiday

We just returned from the Viva on January 31st. We found it on the internet, read the reviews and choose this as our new holiday venture. We are a family of four. Husband and wife plus two daughters in their early twenties. We travelled with Air Transat (Nolitours). It was a pleasure to travel with them. Viva's front entrance's simplicity look left alot up to our imagination upon arrival. What were we in for?
The arrival was very organized. We were placed in the main building above the dining room area. This is a very noisy area until about 1:00 a.m. More suitable for the younger people and couples that stay up till the wee hours. The room was clean. The beds were acceptable but not the most comfortable. The maids kept our room clean.
We were impressed by the variety of foods served each day. None of us got sick at all.
The variety of drinks served there were impressive. We did not book the Italian restaurant nor the mexican restaurant because these were part of ever changing nightly meal servings. Each night was a different food theme in the buffet. Their coffee isn't bad. The daily staff were all very polite and spoke English. Most of the staff in this resort were taught to speak English, German, French and Spanish. The resort appears to attract alot of older and retired couples. Canadians for our week held about 20% capacity of the resort. The music and noise about the place was very loud in most cases. There really isn't alot of quiet places outside of the room to relax and enjoy the scenery. They need more of that for those who are seeking that. The beach was very windy, but that is why it is famous for kite surfers from all over the world. It was too windy for us. The vendors are initially overwhelming, but they understood English and were respectful. The disco was extremely loud for us older ones. Would have been nice to hear a little bit of that old time rock and roll. It would attract the older crowds that would still enjoy some dancing too. The younger age groups are not very high other than the entertainers and staff who work at the resort.
If you are a blonde, BEWARE the Dominicans will be drawn to you like magnets.
Overall, we have no complaints. It was an enjoyable week for our family. We are happy!