Just got back from Gran Ventana 17/07/08 , had quite a good holiday.
Greeted on arrival with a nice welcome drink (dont get this in many hotels) easy check in and porters took luggage to room in saona block which we requested via e mail which was nice.Room nice & clean just basic but rooms only to sleep & shower in,cleaned & towels changed daily also towels given at the pool for use there or the beach,so no need to pack all those towels in your case.Pool quite busy by the Saona block which is also shared by the Catalina block which is still being refurbed but looks like the top 2 floors are complete as guests were just starting to use them as we left.Only went to the Beata block to book the a la carte meals where the quiet pool is situated and boy its quiet.
Eat mostly at the buffet where food was plentiful and enjoyable with many different choices,used the grill bar some lunch times but was sometimes hard getting through to the chefs what you wanted or sometimes didn`t get anything until you asked for a second time(had trouble with one chef in particular but think he got fired-didn`t see him for a few days).The a la carte italian was not my cup of tea still hungry when finished but really enjoyed the octopus tried spicy goat.....yum yum.
Pool bar staff very friendly drinks flowed all day ready to refill as soon as you finished more than can be said for the other bar in the evening,most of the waiters were very ignorant where on one evening i asked if any of them were going to serve me after standing there for 15 minutes,sometimes prefered to wait for the waitress who covers the entertainment area collecting glasses and asks if you would like drinks(which seemed to have more alcohol in and in proper glasses not plastic)but she was busy all the time.
Entertainment was always going on during the day,Animation Team work really hard did get a bit cheesy at times in the evening but its not going to be to everyones taste.
Trips.... fave was Monster Truck,saw the real D R very enjoyable day,Paradise Island VIP was worth a look and Dolphin Swim at Ocean World was ok but not worth the money we paid,was there from 8.30 till 4.15 watched most things twice to kill time.
All in all would visit D R again but prob south of the island.
P.S ......take plenty of mosquito repellant felt like i was an all inclusive breakfast,lunch & dinner for the bloody things.

I have just returned from a weeks stay at the Gran Ventana and I had an amazing time! After religiously checking Trip Advisor before I went I thought I would let other people know how I found it!

The country itself is beautiful! It's very green and has beautiful views! I would recommend going on at least one excursion so that you can see them! As beautiful as the hotel is you dont get a real idea of what the island is like. We did the jeep safari where you can see a traditional countryside house, a fruit plantation, school, rum shack and swim in a lake and finish the day boogie boarding! Its lots of fun!

The hotel is great. We stayed in the Saona building and had a lovely view of the wedding pavilion and the sea! This was great as there was almost a wedding everyday of our stay which we could see from the balcony. There are some building works going on at the hotel but nothing that will disrupt your stay. It is all hidden and there isnt much noise or mess.

The food is lovely in the buffet restaurants and the a la carte restaurants. There is lots of choice and always something worth trying whatever mood you are in. We went the Ocean Grill and the Italian both of which were lovely. My favourite was the ocean grill because of the sea view and the sea breeze as well as the scrummy food. It's also handy to know that all of the fruit and salad is washed in purified water so it is completely safe to eat. We also ate one night at Hemmingways on the Plaza which was very nice and had MASSIVE portions!

Credit has to be given to the hotel staff, particularly the cleaners. There is always somebody cleaning! Whether they are cleaning the sunbeds, the rooms, or sweeping the floor the staff work very hard. The maids are there all day in the rooms and also cleaning the toilets, foyer and bar areas. They pick flowers in a morning and put them in their hair and then leave them as decorations in your room. At night there were at least three people sweeping the floor in the entertainment area. Some people previously mentioned cockroaches but we didnt see anything all week. We expected some insects, even cockroaches, due to the climate, but the place is so clean that there really is none! One morning we got up early to watch the sunrise from the beach and at half past 6 there were people cleaning the pool and the pool area!

The beach is also very clean! there are some weeds and sea weed in the water but this is due to the coral so close to the beach. But this is great if you want to snorkel and see the tropical fish. There are a lot of beach sellers who are there everyday of the week but if you say no thanks they will generally move on. However, some of the things you may be interested in buying, after all the people are only doing their job.

The entertainment is probably the weakest point of the hotel. The animation team work long days and are definately enthusiastic! Their latinos dance at 3pm by the pool was the highlight of my days!! The live music show was probably the best in the evening! but the others are ok if you take them light heartedly. The team try their best and if the audience participate it can be a bit of a laugh.

The cocktails definately have to be tried at the bars! My favourite bar was the swim up bar! It really is as good as it looks! but be careful how many cocktails you have with the 151 rum!

Overall if you're looking for a peaceful, relaxing holiday in a beautiful country then this hotel is definately worth staying in! I really dont think that there are any complaints! overall it was a fantastic holiday! I just wish I was still there!

great hotel. had doubts after i received a letter from thomas cook telling me about building work going on. yes there is but you will never notice it.
food was great esp the a la carte restuarants
choice in buffet was massive and changed every day
entertain was at times cheesy but was professional and well organised tho sometimes not to my taste but you cant please everyone all the time.
facilties were also excellent, things to do all the time if you want to be active during your stay
very clean rooms and spacious too
i would have no dounts about going back to this hotel again

I have been to the Gran Ventana in 2006 and in Nov. 2007 and am planning to return in Dec. 2008. We had a great time and never got sick. We have been to different locations in the Dominican Republic as well as Cuba and all locations never had enclosed eating areas and this was never a issue, as for the rocks in the water all you have to do is wear water shoes if need be but it never bothered us at all. Keep in mind that it makes it a great location to snorkel.
I found the food to be absolutely great and the variety was awsome.
I can't wait to return.

Vern