Have just come back from the Vitalis Garden Club and I must say I was relieved after reading the reviews. I went for 2 weeks with my son, daughter and son's girlfriend. When we first got there we were a bit taken aback by how basic the rooms were, but the room did grow on you and was quite quaint, even the lizards were friendly when they came for a visit! Suggest a towel at the door of a night, just in case!

The food, for the first week was quite nice - it was edible. We made sure we were in the restaurant at "opening time" so that we knew there were no bugs on the food, but by the second week it became "boring"to eat the same thing all the time.

My main complaint about this place is the "them and us"feeling about people from the Tropicana who were wearing the different colour bands to our lowly green bands. They seemed to be able to come and go as they please and eat where they liked, but we couldn't. I just thought if your hotel is so good why are you coming to eat at ours?

The swimming pool area was lovely, although it could have done with being cleaned a bit better as there was bird poop floating around, along with dead bugs (which the birds did come down to eat). I'm not saying that it should be cleaned every minute of the day, but every few hours or so would have been nice. I realise that you cannot stop the birds pooping in the pool, as they nested in the roof over the pool bar, but it wasn't very nice sitting at the swim up bar and then all of a sudden getting "dumped"on by the birds! That aside, we enjoyed the pool area and spent most of our time there. The barmen were lovely, especially Silvio in the afternoons and evenings.

I was really surprised at how quiet the hotel was. i have been to the Dominican before and have found it to be really busy, especially at weekends when the "locals"come for their weekend getaway, but at the Garden Club, even the weekends were fairly quiet.

I did not really think much of the cleanliness of the rooms, although the maid did make the beds every day, she did not do a very good job at cleaning. Our toilet floor was always covered with dead midges where we had killed them with fly spray and they had not been swept up. I did one day find the wardrobe alive with minute "crawly things"which were not quite ants, but could not really make out what they were. The mattresses could do with a bit of a fumigation, as i really do think they had fleas in them, as we seemed to get bitten around the ankles at night! I also think the shower area in the bathroom could do with an update!

I thought the trips were very overpriced, especially Ocean World and swimming with dolphins, seeing as though it was "just around the corner". We went to paradise Island, which was really pretty and the marine life was spectacular when snorkling.

Overall we all enjoyed the holiday and none of us ended up becoming ill with stomach bugs or anything like that. We did have a problem with the air conditioning and once reported, it was fixed almost imediately.

So I think that if you read the bad reviews, you need to go to this resort with an open mind and make your own decisions. My view is that if you are looking for a 5 star holiday, go to a 5 star resort (which this isn't). We loved it!

Cheryl - Essex

Just got back from Perta plata, survived the gardens only for 2 days, all the reports are being kind, birds on the buffet,cold food , no air con, broken tiles, ergh!!!!!!!!!!!!! moved to sister hotel what a treat great .

We have just returned from Lifestyle Garden Club, a holiday which we booked August 2006.
We booked all inclusive due to the fact we could use all five restaurants and all bars (unlimited food and drink), the only additional payment was for shrimp and lobster.
On arrival we were tagged with a green band. A couple of days later we were informed we could only eat at the buffet all other restaurants were off limits to lowly green bands. If we wanted to eat a Chinese or Mexican meal we would have to pay 15 dollars each (not all inclusive). This is not what the brochure promised, (we were told it was an old brochure, remember we booked last August) People booked 2 days before arriving and were told the same thing yet booked from the same holiday we had but from a 2007 brochure ( who’s telling lies?). The booking system for any restaurant was to say the least bias, other residents in the resort who wore yellow or red bands could book from 1pm- 1.30pm, green bands on the other hand could book from 3pm-3.30pm when there were very limited spaces available, gold band wearers could wander in at will and be given priority over anyone else. This is a disgraceful practice and discriminates between groups of people and makes you feel like a second class citizen. I was not aware nor were we told there were different classes of all inclusive.
This was meant to be an adult only resort, kids screamed around and in the pool, one even jumped out and urinated in it, then again he was the reps kid so it must have been ok, the rep was as much use as a chocolate fire guard, numerous guests requested complaint forms, they have yet to receive them as the rep came up with various excuses as to why he could not provide any. I regret I cannot give you his name so you know not to believe a word that comes out of his mouth (you will know him if you meet him). He failed to carry out his function and look after his guests. We will be informing his employer.
Breakfast was usually cold but apart from that the food was not too bad. I am no better than anyone else but I did not book a holiday to eat and live in the same complex as the staff.
We were told that all the changes to our chosen holiday and the facilities was due to a combination of things, mainly the arrival of the Americans and the fact the complex had been bought over and was due to be demolished to make way for VIP villas
You will be harassed by touts trying to sell you VIP villas and holidays from the same people who will treat you like a second class citizen.
This is not a complaint it is simply to inform you of what could happen to you, we are not alone at least 30 other couples had the same experience as us. Take your brochure with you if you choose to go to this complex
Staff were great, very friendly and could not do enough for you, rooms were clean and tidy.It’s a pity that the people who make the money don’t give a toss about their customers well the non American ones that is.

Arrived home this morning, it was the worst 2 weeks of mine and my girlfriends life, we counted the days down to get out of there. On arrival there was drinks waiting and friendly staff which was a relief due to at the airport all they can say is tip tip tip.
When we booked we booked all inclusive which said 6 restaurants to choose from 4 bookable a day in advance, well this was not true, there was 6 but what they didnt say was you get the use of 1 except for snack time, which is appaling for food hygiene due to all being uncovered allowing the ants and birds to get the first share, we also found that the food if not eaten would then appear the next day again being re-heated up to 3 times.
All the people we met there had up set stomachs including us 2.
To book the ala-carte you get a time spot from 3-3.30pm which is after all the other hotels in the complex have booked so generally you got put on the cancellation list but as the food is so bad in the standard restaurant no one does so you done get in even though there could be upto 48 seats available which there was one time we tried and when we questioned that they said upgrade to gold wrists bands which meant buying a timeshare then you can just walk in.
If in the garden you get treated as third rate guests due to wearing green arm bands which basically means if you go to the bar you get disposable cups when wearing one of the other colours you get a proper glass, Also 2 of the restaurants they want to charge you 15USD PP if you can get in which is not on after paying all inclusive. When you check in they give you a sheet telling you whats included and whats not which does not tally up to the brochure and when showing them that they basically laugh at you and say the brochure is not correct, the sheet they gave us says room service 10USD per order but when calling them they stated that this hotel doesnt do room service even though its in black and white. The rooms are very basic with a toilet wardrobe bed and shower which most days the shower is cold water only and some days no water at all and even no electric due to power cuts which happened very frequently. The evening entertainment is a complete waste of time and your lucky if you see any entertainment during the day. The swimming pool is really big and nice but not mantained very well having damaged tiles and cleaned in about 10mins in the morning leaving bird poo floating all day when your sitting in it. The Mytravel rep has his kids in the pool during they day which we had to complain about when one of them stood on the side pulled his shorts down and urinated in the pool and on the side. On complaining to the hotel about these all the said to do was upgrade to the time share or upgrade to the tropical for and extra £125 pp which i think was a joke considering we have paid £1400 already. Also dont remove your wrist band or break it or lose it due to lose of it costs you 15USD or you can not eat it for the rest of the holiday and i happened to have mine break so i was evicted from the restaurant until i walked to the other side of the complex and got a new one even though i had been eating in there for about 5 days already.
I am sure theres more that i have forgotten so fell free to contact me if you want to know anything. Brett & Rachel