This is a - you get what you pay for joint, we paid very little. The beer is awful, the liquor is absolute bottom shelf and the blender drinks are mildly cool and the consistentcy of water. Even at the local bars the bottled beer isnt the same.
At the beach, it is impossible to sit 10 minutes without somebody hounding you to buy a painting, jewelry, an excursion of some sort or even a damn monkey. The sand itself isnt even that nice, the water is okay, but Im glad I didnt bother to bring my snorkeling gear.
On the "beautiful" golf course, you are made to take a caddy, which you pay for upfront. Then, your lovely caddy works you for more money for 18 holes. We played when the greens fee is cheaper, after 3, and the price came to about $100 US, about what we expected, but those caddies make it extremely uncomfortable and annoying.
I would recommend exchanging your money before you get there, because they'll rip you off down there, and if you pay with the US dollar in restaurants, look out!
Also, when we were there, it was basically Canadians and Brits, and they love telling Americans how much we suck. Every single night it was politics 101.
I hear Punta Cana is lovely. Oh yes, and the food was awful.

I have just come across this site and although I visited the hotel some time ago I had to write. This hotel is fantastic, food was great, drinks were great, room was great. I found the beds to be massive and I had no problem with bugs. Take mosiqto repellant sun cream and you get no bother, and leave the air con on in your room at night and they don't come in. You'll need it on anyhow it is so warm.

Shopping centre is great, it is expensive but you'll find things you won't get anywhere else. I don't understand the comments about the money, I took Dominican Pesos and they were easy to use, and I used to work in a Foreign Exchange and we always recommended them and had no one complain.

I want to go back. It was lovely. Much nicer than Sosua, we went for the day and had hassle from people all day trying to drag us in their shops.

My mother, my best friend and I had an incredible stay at the Occidental Grand Flamenco. I have been in many five star resorts in Australia and the USA and was worried after reading the reviews on this site and am truly surprised now that I have been that people could have such negative comments. The food was incredible, the staff was very friendly, the hotel grounds were very clean, the entertainment got better at every show and the rooms were extremely well maintained.

I highly recommend this resort. Loved it!

: )

Having been to the Dominican Republic on many occasions, this was the worse hotel I have stayed in there. It is old, damp with a horrible smell of humidity in the rooms. Lots of peeling paintwork. Food in the Buffet Restaurant was just about acceptable but the other restaurants served barely edible food. Insufficent sunbeds around main pool and people (mainly Brits) would reserve the sunbeds with a towel even though there was a notice in the rooms not to do this. This hotel would definitely not suit anyone looking for a relaxing holiday. Impossible to find a quiet spot for sunbathing. Whilst many make the remark that it is a cheap all-inclusive so is value for money, I have stayed in other hotels, equally cheap, but of a much higher standard.