I stayed at this hotel between April 19-25. A co-worker and I flew into Santiago since the airfare was so much cheaper and took a very well priced van from the airport to the hotel. The trip was about an hour and a half, but we got to see the beautiful country and also, the horrible living conditions for the people of the D.R. When we arrived at the hotel, there were plenty of staff to help us with our bags, and a fruity and tasty welcome drink which we sipped as we were checked in. Our room was made with one king bed, and we were asked if we would prefer two double beds (which we did). They asked us to wait about an hour while they switched the beds in the room...which was perfect because we were both starving from our trip. We walked over to the buffet and had a nice lunch. The guest service lady gave us a tour of the hotel also.

MONEY:
I feel that this is very important! Do not change your money to pesos if you are American. I am not sure how it works for the Euro but I assume the same. Bring small currency, like $5, $10, and only a few large bills for large expenses. Make sure they are unmarked because some places will not accept marked bills. It is easier this way because everyone accepts American money (which is nice for a change since our money has gone down the crapper). Also, some people will give you 34 pesos for a dollar, and some will give you 31...if you catch my drift. If you pay in your native money you know exactly how much you are paying for something and you don't get ripped off on the exchange.

The Room:
Was sooooooo nice. Some of the traveler photos didn't show the rooms in such a nice way. We had a Jr. Suite and it was lovely! It was so clean, very cool, tons of towels, shampoo, soap, and anything we needed. We didn't even have to ask for extra towels...our maid automatically brought them! The fridge is stocked with two sodas, two beers, and two waters every day. There was Dominican coffee and a coffee maker which we never used because the coffee at the bar and restaurants was sooo good, but I stole the packets of coffee every day. lol There was a safe to keep our passports and money and electronics, and the water pressure in the shower was decent. When we got there our towels were made into a swan on our bed with little pink flowers tucked into the folds of all the towels. GREAT first impression. I read on trip advisor before we left that even though gratuity is included, that we should leave something for the maid anyway. We packed two suitcases of clothes, pocket books, jewelry, shoes, games, perfume, and other things we had and didn't use anymore. Every day we left her a big pile of things to take home. Our room was spotless every day and we continuously got extra stuff. On the last day we left her money since we had no more clothing to give.

Food:
DON'T GO TO BAMBOO. I am sorry but the food there sucked and the head waiter had a stick up his butt. The buffet was very good...don't eat the oysters, I am still sick over them. The beach bar and the restaurant (Ibiza Beach) were fantastic! You need a reservation for the Ibiza so I recommend that you book it asap! They had the best food and it is on the beach, so you get a great view and a great breeze.

Drinks:
They were unlimited and overflowing. I think that Dominican rum is not quite as strong as say, Captain Morgan, but it tasted good. It may have been watered down. The frozen drinks were good...their beer is good. Now lets talk coffee. AMAZING I am a coffee addict...and I have had it in many different countries..including Italy and Africa, and of course Starbucks USA. It was sooooo good. I think I drank my all-inclusive's-worth in coffee. YUM

Excursions:
Book through Nelson on the beach...he will bargain and give you the best price. We did one excursion through a company that picked us up..it is recommended on this site. They were very good, but I think Nelson could have gotten it cheaper. Have in mind exactly what you want first and then bargain for it. We went on a snorkeling cruise to Sosua Bay, Horseback riding at sunset through a fruit plantation, over a river and through the woods, and we went on a safari and saw so much of Puerto Plata. The last stop of that safari was the waterfalls. You climb 7 of them, with the help of very strong lifeguards. You wear life jackets and helmets, and it is the trip of a life-time. We got to visit a school (which was cool for us since we both work in public schools in the special ed department in New Jersey). We brought pencils and toothbrushes for the kids who then mobbed us. I should have learned my lesson from my missions trip in Africa! If you bring anything for the kids...make sure you do not give it to the teacher because the kids will never see it, and tell them that no one gets anything unless they are sitting in their seats. Bring enough for about 100 kids. What a terrific day that was!

Staff:
The men are very horny and get insulted if you are nice to them, and dance with them, but then do not want to make out with them or sleep with them. So single ladies...there are plenty of them to go around but just remember..they do this for a living and I am pretty sure they get some alllll the time..don't let them fool you.

However, one in particular was very nice at first and drove my friend and I on his motorcycle to Cabarete which is a beautiful town with the outdoor discos on the beach, great restaurants, and the water is beautiful. There are tons of people from different places to meet.

Don't buy the coconuts on the beach...they are not worth it and they cost like 5 pesos and the guy will try and get 300 pesos for them.

Overall...there is something at this resort to do for everyone. If you do not want to party all night or be kept awake all night..request a room away from the disco where the music is loud. I read a lot of complaints about that, but we never heard a thing down by our room. The place is beautiful! We never went to the pool...always the beach, because hey..I can see pools in America...That crystal clear blue ocean was enough to make my heart stop! There are plenty of beach chairs and staff to help you out! We had so much fun and were able to relax! For two twentysomething women, it was fantastic. There were families with kids who looked like they had a blast..there were older couples, young couples, groups of friends, everyone seemed to have a great time! If you don't have fun here...then I don't know what to say to you, other than Impossible!

April 15-22-2008

What can I say, except this resort is very under rated. Our group of nine stayed there for a week and absolutely loved it. The rooms were very clean, sheets and blankets were changed daily, had extra pillows, plenty of towels and face cloths, soap, shampoo and body wash. The mini fridge was stocked every day, the a/c worked amazingly, almost froze me out.:) Not sure if there are smoking and non smoking rooms, but there was no hint of cigarette smoke in our room. The grounds are beautiful, lush greenery and flowers everywhere, my personal favourites are the palm trees and there were alot. The pool was small but beautiful, had a waterfall that is on a couple hours during the day and evening and under the waterfall is a bar and the staff are so kind and polite, everyone always has a smile on their face and a friendly Hola!! The food at the buffet was good, but the beach bar was fantastic, we didn't try the ala cartes but will forsure next time..The beach which is a short stroll down a paved walkway is out of this world, not a speck of seaweed to be found anywhere, you could go out about 3 feet deep and still see the bottom. The animation staff are out of this world, travelling with 4 teenagers, we were a little nervous about them being bored but the animation team kept them involved in every competition offered, and there was plenty of rum to be won! The shows in the evening were exceptional, these young people work 16 hour days, 6 days a week and work very very hard, and it shows. Our favourite show was the Street Dance/Hip Hop show, the dancers Anny, Erika, Rosemary, Mabel, Pablo, Angel, Ambi, Alex and the others are extremely talented and really make this resort what it is..We were unfortunate enough to have to use the medical centre twice and the care you get from the guest services personel (namely Rosangela) was incredible! It just seemed that they couldn't do enough for you. We loved this resort and would recommend it to anyone, we are already planning for 2 weeks next spring.

I traveled with my parents to the Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada in mid April. Overall, our stay was a pleasant one, but here is what I thought of some of the major features of the resort:

The Beach:
The Dorada Beach area is very tropical and secure compared to other areas in the DR. The sand is soft and clean of debris, except for the occasional cigarette butt. The water is very clear and refreshing. There are some moderately sized waves in this area, so if you are not an experienced swimmer I would not swim more than 30 yards out from the beach. A nice breeze comes from the direction of the ocean and it makes the overall heat much more bearable.

The Rooms:
We stayed in a Junior Suite and found the rooms to be roomy and comfortable. Unlike most rooms in the Caribbean, the rooms had a fully functioning central air system, very soft, and comfortable beds, and a very attentive housekeeping staff.

The Pool:
The pool was beautiful, although I did spend most of my time on the beach and swimming in the ocean. It did have a nice waterfall and an attentive bar staff.

The Food and Drinks:
I wish I could rave about the food, but unfortunately I found it to be bland, repetitive and not very fresh. The ale carte restaurants were above average, but both breakfast and dinner at the buffet was below average. The snack bar by the beach served consistently the best food and I ate there most of the time. The drinks at the resort were average and the "Presidente" is the only beer that is served (not very good, and often it is served warm).

Entertainment:
The entertainment was somewhat boring and repetitive. I come here to rest and relax by the beach and I don't come for the entertainment. If you do want entertaining shows, then you may be disappointed.

Overall Impression:
The country is beautiful, the people are friendly, and this hotel is above average in a great location. If you are looking to spend allot of time on the beach relaxing and are not looking for some of the frills other 5 star resorts may offer, then you will be perfectly happy to stay at the Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada. We really did have a good time and I felt that we received a good value for our money that was spent. I would return to the DR, and would stay at this resort again if I got a great deal.

Booked a last minute trip to Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic through Signature Vacations. $2725.50 for 2 people - 2 weeks all-inclusive at the Viva Wyndham Playa Dorada.
It rained like mad the day we got there and didn't rain again until we got into the airport going home. We had two weeks of wonderful weather.
We stayed in the Junior Suites with two queen beds. Would have perferred a king, oh well. There was more than enough room for two people to move around. The bathroom was also very big 8x10. The bed was very comfortable.
The maid always leaves botteled water and pop in the fridge.
Coffee maker but no coffee etc...
This place may have only one bufffet but let me tell you, we never went hungry.
The Thai and Greek Resturants where a nice change.
1 meal at each place once per week.
The food was good,something for everyone. Lots of desserts!
However,three weeks there (as with any all-inclusive) would be abit much after awhile.
We meet up with a few couple that have been to the area 7 - 8 times and had stayed at different hotels up and down the beach. They rated this one as the best for food, beach, games, etc.
I walked up and down the beach and there were two hotels with very calm water where you could snorkle but then you had to deal with rocks is some spots. But, it wasn't a big deal because it is all like one big beach anyways. No problem getting exercise, you could walk for hours!
Now, here is the story on the excursiones.
On day two of your stay, you will be asked to attend a meeting to meet your 'signature rep'. This meeting is only about 1/2 long and well worth the time.
He gave us all kinds of very helpful advice, his cell phone number in case of emergency etc. I would recommend that you go listen.
However, it was recommended that we only take a taxi into Puerto Plata $30.00 for a 10 minute trip but you split the cost with another couple and that includes some site seeing etc.
You can take a bus for about 16 pesos. Go out to the hotel lobby road, turn right and walk for about 10 miuntes. You will come to the highway,wait for the bus. (This is for the adventurous)
We didn't take the bus but would have if we hadn't rented a car.
We rented a car for 1 day with another couple. The total cost with gas was $112.00 split ($56.00) and that took us on a wonderful 11 hour trip across the whole North Coast from Puerto Plata through the mountains to La Terrenas. What an experience!
There are several companies that do excursions and all of them are great. The cost difference from one company to another is not much and the expreience is pretty much the same...
We booked the Jeep Safari & Waterfall through "Dio" for $55.00 per person.
You can find Dio every day on the beach with his blue binder. Don't worry, it's all good. Dio works 6 days a week and I even saw him there on Sunday! He is a very friendly representative that works for Lones Truck Safari. He has 4 children to raise and put through school, so I say "why not book through "Dio."
"Hi Dio"
The 'Singature representative' was also pushing the hotel excursions saying that they were the safest, most reliable, etc.. but they are also the most expensive. Better bus, better food, better rum??? We all ended up at the same place and experienced the same thing!
All of the tour companies come to your hotel to pick you up and drop you off. We had no problems what so ever.
The waterfall experience was great! The rum even better!
I felt bad that we didn't have any money on us to give the guides that helped us up the falls. They were great guys and I think a few dollars would have been nice. They only do 1 trip each per day so I don't think there take home is great. These people are very poor!
We booked the Paradise Island Trip through Marysol Tours @ the Playa Dorada Plaza in the same hut as the money exchange.
"Sorry Dio"
Peter was very helpful with our questions and they offer free internet so we decided to book the Paradise trip with them
$55pp the snorkeling was wonderful! As was the rum! The bus ride was a little long but the experience of seeing how these people live was worth it.
The hotel will do your laundry for you, .20 for each pair of underware etc. .50 for a pair of pants. etc.
I tool along a small box of tide!
Only complaint! THE PLANE RIDE HOME SUCKED!!!
Sky Service Flights are not direct.
Left Puerto Plata at 7:00 pm for Vancouver Canada and stopped in Calgary. Who can sleep on a plane?
Can they pack you in any tighter???
Air Transat flies direct from Vancouver to Puerto Plata and return.
Cuts 2 hours off your flight each way !
Next Time !