having read mixed reviews on this site we were not quite sure what to expect. We write as a 40 something English couple who have no option other than to suffer the terrible service industries thrust upon us in the uk : bad service, rip off prices, queues, small portions of mediocre food etc. Not to mention the traffic !
Our opinion is that many of the complaints about this resort are from non uk residents who may be more familiar with higher standards of service/environment than we have in the uk. It is all relative and one has to balance everything before making an informed choice or judgement.
The fact that hardly anyone including the staff spoke English was a blessing.We didnt have a clue what most people were talking about and it was great. The staff do their best even though some of them havent got a clue what you are talking about beyond basics but who cares ?
POSITIVES-- clean, friendly, great food, lovely cold beer (that often refilled itself without asking) selection of proper cocktails, spacious pool areas and grounds, numerous bars and restaurants,large rooms with all inclusive mini bar (nice touch)
NEGATIVES-- the shady spots on beach are reserved the night before, there is no problem getting a lounger but no way will you get shade. The people who do this dont occupy these beds until the hottest part of the day when they move in from the sun. Also men selling trips on beach are a real pain. The looky looky men are not a problem.One tip apart from ignoring them is to sit back from sea as they do not venture too far inland
CONCLUSION-- do yourself a favour and go

We stayed at the Punta Cana in block 4000 for one week in May 2008. We had a fantastic time!! I read the reviews before booking and was fully prepared to get up and find a bed at the beach or the pool but there was no need at all - quiet week.
The first morning, due to the time difference we were up early and at 6.30am there was no body in sight - we walked along the beach and it was very quiet, no problems with finding a sunbed - even at 10am we could find beds anywhere with ease. The room was very nice but maybe not worth the extra for the sea view as it wasn't that much of a sea view! The restaurants were all good with lots of variety at the buffet, something for everyone, you would have to be one very fussy eater not to find something you like!! The staff were all freindly and helpful, make sure you learn some Spanish before you go. As someone has previously mentioned, take lots of suncream and aftersun with you - it is very expensive in the shops - $25. Overall we had an amazing time and would definately go back to this hotel again, the Punta Cana Resort is in best location for the beach.

I have just returned from an 8 day trip with my boyfriend, sister and brother-in-law. All 4 have decided we will never go back to this resort.

To start things off, the reception area was EXTREMELY rude. Their "Supervisor" was one of the worst. Asking politley gets you no where there. There are no ATM's or ways of taking out cash on the resort. They have little kiosks come in and set up stands to shop at except no way of getting money to buy at them. When booking excursions, cash only as well. The only way to get cash is paying for a cab to take you into to town to find one or buying chips at teh casino, spending a minimum of $20 at the tables then cashing in the balance of the chips you bought. If you want to spend money at the resort there is a $50 minimum with Credit Cards. Any questions we had for reception, our answers were one word answers that were said with a mean tone, as if we were disburbing them and were beneath them and a nasty glare to finish. The only smile we got was when they saw we were filling out comment cards about our stay, then they were as nice as can be.

My sister and brother-in-law had used this as their honeymoon and received an "upgrade"....or what they thought would be an upgrade. They did receive a complimentary bottle of champagne which I will admit was extremly nice. The downside was they had no electricity and the staff had to override the system to give them electricity. When everything was up and running, their A/C went haywire. It went freezing cold (unable to adjust) or shut off complety. After 2 days of complaining and wasting time at reception they were moved to a new room. This room had a broken toilet seat that didnt stay on the toilet and a shower that drizzled bits of water.

The food at the resort was not of the best quality. We ate at an a la carte and my boyfriend spent the rest of the night and last day there hugging porceline because of the food. We' re guessing it was the shrimp...

We found it very difficult to ask staff anything since not many spoke any english. Most resorts I have been too have helpful staff that can speak some english at least but we found not many could and instead of finding someone to help you, they walked away.

We watched them water down their booze, Beer included! It sure made us realize after a day of drinking non-stop in the sun why we all were feeling the same as when we started.

The locals (when you get away from teh resorts) are amazing people. I highly recommend the ATV excursion into the country side. You get to meet locals from the villages and see what the country is really like. The little kids are just amazing. A 7 year-old child can speak perfect english and yet people at the resort can't tell me where the restroom is. If you go to the villages, please bring little things for the kids. The smile on their faces to get a sticker or bag of candy is priceless.

Arrival: $20 taxi if you speak Spanish and walk 200meters from the airport exit. At the hotel was a completely different situation. Had e-mailed ahead since this was a return trip to get the 3000 block. Arrived @ 500PM and given the room keys to a 4000 room. Told, somewhat snidely, that it was the better building. After a 12 hr total flight time with 3 friends arriving from 3 different cities, I was happy to be there so I did not argue. Opened the door to find a family packing who nicely told us that they would be done in an hour. Returned to check-in to be told that the could get the room ready in 1/2hr and that we should just go to the restaurant. Understanding that this was low season and that it was impossible to accomplish in 1/2hr, I thought it was reasonable that since this was much later than check-in time that maybe being upgraded to a suite would be reasonable. I was flatly told that there were none available but the manager told the receptionist in Spanish that we had not paid for it and we were NEVER to get this. The receptionist looked uncomfortable since I had just spoken to her in fluent Spanish(I am Asian so no one thought I spoke) but they would not budge. This would not even be a problem other than 1) We were all exhausted and sweating from long flights 2) the commentary was really insulting given that it was entirely their problem.

Room: Large and clean. 2 beds were a bit small for 4 adults. Water was hot. A/C was the perfect temp. Beds are hard and pillows flat.

Service: Usually excellent especially because they were so nice. Big exception was when we finally got the room, the minibar only had a half-used water bottle in it. Called 3 times and told it would be refilled. Had to bring the water bottle to the front desk again and finally it was filled.

Food: Buffet's had a decent variety especially in the Catedral which is the largest. Favorite was the steakhouse even though the steak was very overdone but tasty. Don't get the shrimp there, it was just horrible. Hemingway's has the best variety of "top-shelf" drinks which just means Bombay gin and Stoli vodka but I wasn't picky.

Activites: The club at night was hit or miss but they play a good variety especially on Sat. Tried to do archery but it was too difficult to schedule. There is the towel game but even during peak hours you can usually find some area under a tree.

Overall a reasonable 3 star and it was OK because I paid a 3-star price since we were able to cram 4 adults into the room. If I got this service the first time I had come with my wife and paid significantly more, I would have much more annoyed. The positives are the variety of activities, food and, fortunately, personalities. Since it is geared more towards couples/families, I think they are much nicer to them...just my guess though I've noticed that the more negative reviews are single-sex groups.