Occidental Grand Punta Cana - All Inclusive

This was one of the best vacation resorts I have been to in quite some time. It was gorgeous and the food was great. Our room was very spacious and for the price, I was floored! We had a huge bed, sitting area and a breakfast terrace. There were lots of kids around, but they didn't get in our way because the resort was so large. The kids and families primarily stayed around the pools and adult couples stayed on the beach. I'm guessing thats why it was so peaceful and quiet. Also, even though there were plenty of kids and families there, none were in our building. They group people staying with children in on the opposite side of the resort so if you don't have kids, you won't be bothered. We never had an issue getting a dinner reservation -- maybe because we are early risers, but it wasn't an issue. The specialty restaurants were very romantic and initmate. The beachside lunch buffet was our favorite place to eat. the food was seasoned really well and fresh. The fruit was amazingly fresh and sweet. The activities were really free and a great time. Oh- the beach was beautiful.. white sand, warm clear blue water. The club Mangu was also a very very good time. I was hesitant about it, but they played music for everyone, primarily music from DR.. which was expected- but very fun. The staff was very very pleasant even though they didn't speak much english- but they knew the basics so it was never a problem. I lift weights, so I was surprised when i seen the gym with the equiptment i use. It wasn't 'state-of-the-art" but it got the job done, and better than the nautilus equiptment at the Westin's and Hiltons. I have been to the carribean several times and this was by far a great CHEAP trip. I will definitely be going back - next time with the children. I'm not really sure what all the other people are saying about this resort but I went with lower expectations because the price was so cheap.. and was blown away. I got far more than I paid for this trip, and had a great time the wholel time.

It was a very nice resort, clean, friendle people, awesome location, lots activities, easy access to food, would recommend to friends and family.

This was my third time staying at the Occidental in Punta Cana. I love Punta Cana and have traveled there a total of 6 times. I tend to go back to the Occidental because I know what to expect, the beach seems to be nicer than other sections of Bavaro, its only about 25 minutes to the airport, the grounds are beautiful and the Mangu Discoteca is directly outside of the front doors. It seems to be great for all types: honeymooners, friends, families, etc. I liked the disco option because there is very little to do at night other than watch a show or go to the lobby bar. If you want to access Mangu from other resorts it involves a taxi ride and seems like too much of a hassle that its not worth going. Be prepared for all walks of life at Mangu, a crazy techno room upstairs and expensive drink prices. Keep and eye on your purse and camera and have fun! Other than that I loved the Occidental and found the staff to be very helpful and friendly. Please keep in mind that you are in the Dominican Republic and they will speak Spanish. The only thing that annoyed me was when I would see my fellow American tourists complaining that the "workers didn't understand!" Keep in mind that you are in a different country with a lot of foreign tourists. The staff members speak a variety of languages and will generally be able to help you with your needs. Learn a few Spanish phrases, act out the ones you don't know and enjoy the beach!

Basically everything was cool until the last night...when i slipped down some stairs do to a bad, or lack of a dry job.(lawsuit any1?)..mix that in with a on-site hospital staff of 1..and you are getting wheel-chaired around the airports(those who have recently traveled might have seen me in either Philly, Vegas, or PC)...all 3 of them due to orbits finding me the cheapest way to my destination(no matter how long it takes)..(that's another story).. Food:...nothing but pizza for me, with the occasional piece of bacon and toast...i was told by some1 with more experience than i to stay away from anything creamy, that includes scrambled eggs....Omelets which are made fresh before u r good to go...never got a chance to eat at a reserved dinner..tho i made plenty of reservations...due to the fact that i was wasted by 5..just being honest..all i can say is drinks like "ready to go" and anything else they light on fire need to their consumption limited. Drinks: guess i just covered that..."Dominican flag"..not a bad option.."ready to go" will have u ready to go somewhere....bed, club, pool...it will also warm u up pretty nice...Be aware! Anything that gets lit up is really that fire! meaning it will do the trick..just give it time Hotel..Grounds/Rooms: Start with the grounds..immaculate, clean pools crystal clear, chlorine content just right, pools cleaned what seemed nightly...beaches had white sands turquoise waters...now every1 complains about the bites they receive and the # of...i will say this, i didn't get bit until i went out on the beach in the early morning like 3-8a.m. before the sun was out to scare the critters away..b4 then i had none, and all of the people i spoke with had none either...so i'm not sure about all the talk...but none the less i did end up bitten so i guess its a tolerance thing..to each their own..Rooms: i was on the first floor of building 25 pool-side view.(darn) but it was cool, (btw they claimed this was an upgrade when i checked in the guy made sure to repeat it several times) even when it did rain i was never flooded, there is a slight musk to the room but i wasn't in it long enough to complain, and the maid started overfilling my fridge with brews so i really couldn't complain...(California Charm, not every1 has it, so don't expect the same treatment if u don't deserve it)j/k maybe she was just being nice, but when i first checked in there were no comp beers. but i digress.... Nightlife: After 1a.m. its Club Mangu, then there's Mangu, and after that more Mangu...other than Mangu, its a wrap, from a single man's perspective...B4 1a.m. feel free to take in the nightly entertainment..i usually didn't wake up until about 1030 - 11...(remember i was normally out by five), but some people seemed to enjoy it. Around 1130 - 1p.m. there is a nice show in the lobby, dancing/mingling, and whatnot..oh yea not to mention the mob at the bar where every1 drinks as much as they can b4 1a.m....after that u r paying for drinks at Mangu.the shocker $5 USD for the same free water they just gave u next door, unless u look at the bartender like he/she is crazy, then u might git a free 1 (i did), if i remember correctly alcoholic beverages were 5 or 7 $USD..did i mention that's the last thing to do after dark...Great thing about the club and why i liked it so much is the fact that it doesnt close until its empty..thats like 6 or 7 on a good night/morning...saturday was by far the most happening night...during the week so-so...two floors 1st is salsa, 2nd hip-hop/techno/anything else...u stay there too long and songs begin to get repeated. Domincan Girls, most if not all in that tourist trap are "tutes" or "stutes" as some of my friends from the Mid-west call em...i stayed away, but the Canadians are "friendly" and i'll leave it at that. Now if ur female and WITHOUT male company be prepared to be HOUNDED!/SWARMED/FOLLOWED/BORDERLINE HARASSED..by Dominican Males...they were my main comp..so fellas step ur GA...

We were at the Occidental from June 3 - 9 and were a little nervous about some of the reviews we had read about this hotel. We stayed in the Royal Club section of the hotel and it was the best vacation ever... I would recomend going on the Fun Buggy tours, we did on our first day and it set the tone for the entire trip(awsome time). I would not recomend going to the Italian or Mexican restaurants, but all the others were good. Also if you are in the Royal Club section, you have your own area on the beach with a bar and the locals trying to get you to take boat tours and parasailing, etc. cannot come into your area and bother you and the Royal Club restaurant is the best restaurant on the resort, also they have a beach party on Monday nights for the Royal Club guests. We just got back and are trying to see when we can go back again.

It was very humid there so our bed sheets constantly felt damp. The room in general felt like everything was damp. water from the shower would also flood the bathtub rim, therefore flooding our bathroom floor. The beach had too much boat traffic and the water was murky. The beach was not as spacious as I had hoped, it was not serene at all. I say this place is good for families. The restaurants only had so-so food. The only place we enjoyed was the pizza place outside the italian restaurant. There were also many mosquitoes coming out at night. The hotel staff are very friendly though, and service was quick. Compared to all other vacations, DR certainly had the most affordable activities such as: Parasailing, swimming w/Dolphins, Snorkeling, Horse back riding...etc. They offered activities half of what other carribean islands had asked for. I personally will not come back only because I did not experience anything "local/non tourist". Unless you were on an activity, you couldn't wander out of the resort so at times it felt like you were on a cruise and just run into the same people and you can't get out. It wouldn't be safe to wander out of the resort area so I understood that. We knew of another couple who was staying at a different hotel, but resorts there are secluded from one another, so we were not able to meet up. I hope resorts in general there, can create an environment where guests can leave the confines, go shopping, go to casinos..all in walking distance...

The resort itself is beatiful and the service was really good. Better than i expected. The staff was very helpful and they helped you have a good time. The ground was very big and you can easily get lost getting back to your room. The pool was really nice and the beach was beautiful. I booked the romance package and i definitely got my money's worth. The couples massage was like nothing i experiences before. The food was the only negative of the trip. Check in was fast and they drove you to your room after telling you about local excursions which i recommment if you go here. The Saona Island was by far the best. We took an hour bus ride to a boat that sailed for an hour to the island. The boat was equipped with lively music and drinks which was a really good time. Upon arriving there was good, drinks, massages and the beach of course.

I relaxed a lot. Went to the beach and pool. Beach is great. Night life is a lot of fun as well. Not happy with location outside resort though. Seems dangerous. But overall, very great vacation.

The one thing positive I will say is the place was clean, however NO ONE spoke English even in the resort and the largest pool was empty the first two days I was there. Without the pool there was not much to do, the beach was nice but they gave me towel vouchers but noone knew where to get them. There was a club on site and that was the salvation for everyone, However, I never found out..... I was on my death bed. We also had a blackout in our building with no explanation not to mention they hound you constantly to attend timeshare demonstrations. Oh and the food almost KILLED me. After day two I stayed alive by eatting only pineapples and toast. The climax to the trip.... Wait for it...... I paid for a round trip shuttle to/from the airport and it never showed up and I had to pay additional for a cab in order to not miss by blessed plane ride home. The DR is dead to me ....

This is my third trip to Punta Cana and though we really did have a good time because we made our own fun and met fun people...it was a little bit of a disaster. After booking this property primarily because of the swim-up bar in the pool (and the beach, of course), we were disappointed that the pool was closed for maintenance the ENTIRE time we were there. We got a good deal on the package, so I can't complain too much...but this is about my 10th visit to an all-inclusive in the Caribbean and this is the worst food I have ever had. Alot of the staff was great and very helpful...however some of the resort staff tries to make a little money on the side prostituting and my friend and I (who were on a girls' trip) were approached more than once. Uncomfortable. Again, I have been to the island multiple times and have NEVER had this happen. Other positive things include being next to Mangu, the dance club, and our rooms were clean and safe. The bartenders and cocktails were great too. All and all with the deal we got, and the fact that we really tried to be as laid back as we could be about the negative things, the trip was ok. I would not stay here again though. I highly recommend the Melia Caribe (where I have stayed and had a completely different experience) or even the Sunscape is better. Hope this helps!!