I have seen a big mix of positive and negative reviews, and seeing those reviews before I came to Senator with my girlfriend had me very worried...SO, I am writing this review to give everyone a recent honest review, especially those that are worried now that they booked and are seeing some negative reviews. This is all based off my experience, starting from the airport arrival, to leaving- Location/Flight/Airport: The Puerto Plata airport is pretty small. the workers are pretty friendly. You will have volunteers there that grab your bag to help you and then want a tip so just be prepared to say no to them helping or be ready to probably give a tip. The resort was roughly a 45 min bus ride from the airport. The drivers are intense in the DR there but we never felt unsafe and we trusted the bus driver and team that took us. We stopped at 5 resorts before ours where other people got off, and in all honesty, the location of Senator was easily the best. out of town, secluded, away from all the noise. Room: My girlfriend and I stayed in the senator junior king suite, which is the lowest room level. We have NO complaints. There was a few stains on the curtains, and very small rust spots in the shower curtain rod, but the bed was comfortable, the AC worked, WIFI worked, shower water was not super hot, but if you give it a few minutes to heat up then its totally fine. The maids did a great job everyday cleaning, and there was a nice terrace to sit outside for morning coffees or whatever. Upon arrival, out tv did not work, we told front desk and within 20 min the technician brought a new tv for us which worked. Overall, room was good. Security: Honestly one of the only complaints I have is the lack of security. I don't think there was a time I felt "unsafe" at the resort, but if I ever did I would be worried because in the 8 days we were there, I saw 3-4 security guards. but this brings me to my next section... Beach: the beach was very nice. Lots of shade, so if you want to tan, either go to the pool area or find a good spot on the beach. And seriously you have to go save a spot at like 7-8am. YOU WILL run into people claiming you took their spot, even if you've been lying on the chair for multiple hours. There are signs saying no saving spots, but people do and the rule is not enforced. Be prepared to most likely have confrontation with people on the beach, and make sure you can stand up for yourself because I'm not going to sugar coat it, there are a ton of entitled people staying a the resort and you might run into problems. 3 separate times my girlfriend and I were told we were in someone's spot, or that they have been staying at that spot all day, even though we got to the spot at 7am and the chairs were not taken. So just be prepared. We also saw a fight on the beach lol. people were arguing over a spot and the man literally spit on the women. Once again no security around so nothing happened. You can feel the tension on the beach sometimes. The water was nice to swim in, the sand in the water was a bit rocky but other than that it was nice to go for a swim. There are the occasional people coming by asking if you want to buy an excursion or for them to braid your hair, but they aren't annoying like so many of these reviews say. Just say "No thank you" and they smile and leave. Its wasn't a big deal for us. Buffet: We would say the buffet was pretty good. They did make slight changes every night by doing a theme such as Italian or Mexican. The waiters and waitresses at the buffet were honestly the nicest workers in the resort. They were great! We did get sick of the buffet but the 6th to 7th day, but honestly we were just sick of eating lol. Facilities/restaurants/bars/entertainment: All booking for restaurants are after 9am. We messed up and didn't book until the third last day and nothing was available. Legends sports bar was where we spent a lot of time. the bartenders are friendly and are consistent with the drinks they make. The food there was okay, but a nice change overall from the buffet. if you want to have lots of drinks and see where all the people getting drunk are, go to Legends after 10pm lol, it was a good time. The Mokka coffee shop was good, the gelato shop was good as well. Pizza was okay, but it was convenient if you were hungry between buffet times. The gift shops were good, and cigar shop was awesome, the worker was so helpful, brought a few back home. The pool bar was good as well. Entertainment started too late in my opinion, at least for us. We were exhausted most nights and would only stay for part of the entertainment as it started at 9:30. The entertainment workers were amazing though, They tried to get every hyped up, and if they saw you throughout the day by the pool, they would say hello or throw a little joke out. Some reviews said the wine and beer and drinks were awful, but honestly they were good. The only beer you can get unless you're VIP is "presidente" but I actually enjoyed it. The wine was pretty good, and the cocktails were consistent which is what matters to me. Management/staff: The management was good. Check-in took 2 minutes. They answered all our questions. Everyone working there would always say hello with a smile. The landscapers were great, they kept the grounds pristine. It would rain heavily for a bit and the leaves from the trees would be all over the grounds, but within 10 minutes they were raked up. Overall: The resort is worth the cost. As long as you're not a snob and are open minded ready to just have a good time, you will enjoy it!…
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.