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Paradisus Punta Cana trip report (long) and Pics



 
 
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  #1  
Old April 24th, 2004, 04:42 PM
Cramden
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Paradisus Punta Cana trip report (long) and Pics

Pics here,
http://community.webshots.com/user/mjcramden

Report below. Any questions I'll be glad to answer.

-Cramden

My wife and I vacationed at the Paradisus Punta Cana the week of April
10-17, 2004. It was our second trip to the Paradisus and third to the
Dominican Republic.



We traveled with USA 3000, a charter airline that handles most of Apple
Vacations' package flights. We flew directly from Hartford to Punta Cana on
time and without as much as a whimper from my wife who enjoys flying about
as much as getting a root canal. The flight included a movie (Big Fish),
complimentary mimosas and the basic in flight meal of chicken or lasagna. I
would have no problems flying them again. Arrival and processing at the
airport went smoothly. We disembarked, paid for our tourist cards, had our
luggage and were in a cab heading for the Paradisus 30 minutes after
landing. We decided to take a Taxi ($22 US) instead of the bus to save time
and get to the resort sooner. After the usual eventful taxi ride in which
rules of the road are optional and after almost running into in no
particular order, a cow, a motorcycle and an oncoming bus we made it to the
resort. About a 30 minute drive.



Check-in was smooth. We were given our bracelets (not plastic, but fashioned
out of coconut shells) room keys, towel cards, safe lock and key and
information packet about the resort. It included an information "Passport"
for the resort which contained everything you needed to know about the
Paradisus such as descriptions of all of the restaurants including dress
codes, numbers to call for room service, to have your mini-bar restocked,
maid service, laundry service, etc. The packet also contained a Paradisus
"Dictionary" which included useful phrases in Spanish. The only negative
about check-in was the quick hit by the Melia Vacation Club staff when you
leave the registration desk trying to get you to visit the Melia
Tropical/Carib. I was prepared for this so I politely said we weren't
interested and continued to the tram that would take us and our luggage to
the room. We had requested ahead of time via email a corner room with a king
sized bed and were happy to see that's what we received, room 1063 in
Bungalow #6. It's set in a great location on the perimeter of the resort
near the neighboring and quiet Bavaro Princess. Not as much foot traffic as
there would be in a room closer to the pool so we had quite a bit of privacy
on our deck. I like the corner units because you only have another room on
one side of you and the deck is a bit larger.



From this point of the review on I'll be breaking down the resort into

specific areas and grading them on a 1-10 scale.



Room 8

The room was nice. It was refurbished since the last time we were there but
I actually preferred the old style of interior better. It used to be
furnished in bright colors, aqua, pink , orange with lighter colored wicker
furniture. Very Caribbean. But now the furniture was made of darker woods
and fabrics, more plush and I guess richer looking. Beautiful but we still
preferred the other.



The bathroom is to the right as you first walk in the door. It consists of
2 rooms completely tiled from floor to counter top. The first contains the
sink surrounded by mirrors from counter top to ceiling. Plenty of counter
space for any essentials you may need. There is also a basket containing
about 8 types of creams, soaps, shampoos and lotions. A hair dryer is on the
wall so there is no need to bring one. On the front of the counter top is a
towel rack where two hand towels and two wash clothes are hung. On the
opposite wall from the sink is the closet. It has 2 large full length
mirrors as sliding doors. In the closet are 12 hangers and plenty of shelf
space to store luggage, bags or clothes that you may have. There's also an
iron and ironing board, umbrella and the room safe.



The second room is separated by a door from the first. In it are the toilet,
bidet and shower. The shower will not flood the bathroom as I've read in
another report if you keep the shower curtain "inside" the tub. The wall on
the far end of the shower contained a towel rack that held two large bath
towels. Two floor towels were always available to use for stepping out of
the tub after your shower. Water pressure and/or lack of hot water were
never an issue as we had plenty of both.



Leaving the bathroom brings you to the sleeping area. Our room consisted of
a king sized bed (firm but comfortable) with three fluffy pillows two
bedside tables and lamps, ceiling fan/light and a large mirrored table-desk-
bureau. This bureau had three more drawers on either side which could be
used as more storage for your clothing. The AC unit was also in this
section. It had a high-medium-low-off switch. The unit worked fine and we
had to turn it to low several times even though it was in the high 80's
outside. Stepping down one step brings you to the sitting area. In it were
a couch and loveseat, coffee table, corner table and lamp, a small round
dining table with 2 chairs , and a counter area where the mini fridge was
hidden and had a TV, microwave and four cup coffee maker on top. There were
also two sliding doors which led out to our deck. We always spent some time
here before going to dinner and before turning in for the night enjoying a
few cervezas, champagne, cigars (me) etc. We packed a few candles that we
would light on the deck at night to help set the mood. Very nice way to end
the day.





Grounds 10

Still without a doubt, the most well kept resort we've ever been to. I run
out of adjectives trying to do justice to this place in my description. The
rooms are in two story bungalows. Each bungalow contains 16 rooms. In
between each bungalow are scores of flowering plants, palm and banana trees,
fountains, statues, coy ponds, green grass and interconnecting stone walk
ways. The walkways are illuminated at night on either side with low wattage
light fixtures spaced every few feet. The lushness of the property always
seems to give you a sense of privacy no matter where you are or how crowded
the resort is. It was filled to capacity this week and it never felt that
way. We saw groundskeepers from 6:00 am until late at night working
throughout the property. Planting, pruning and raking, putting new roofs on
palapas etc. They work very hard. We ended up tipping a few of them a few
dollars just to let them know we appreciated the work they do too. Their
smiles were worth 10 times every dollar we gave them !!



The walk from the bungalows to the lobby is about 5 minutes. The area in
between the two is beautiful. Nothing but tropical vegetation and Taino
statues on either side of the cobblestone roadway. The roadways are also
lined with the same lighting as the paths so walking at night is not a
problem. They've also added a new Ecopass walk to the resort. It's a short
walk through the mangroves where you'll see several Birds, Iguanas and
Monkeys. A good way to kill 10 minutes but not as nice as the Eco walk used
to be through the old Melia Bavaro (now Bavaro Princess).





Pool 10

Their website states the pool is one of the largest free standing pools in
the Caribbean. I can't speak for the rest of the Caribbean but it is big. I
tried capturing the size on film but you can't. The pool breaks off into too
many sections, all surrounded by palms so you can never get an idea of its
scope through pictures. It's about 5.5 feet at it's deepest but mostly about
4.5 the rest of the way. There are fountains, islands, unheated Jacuzzi,
water sports section and a very large palapa style swim up bar within the
pool. Surrounding the pool are scores of loungers, dozens of palapas and
several large palapa beds. The resort has a lounger in every place possible
so I don't fault them for the reports about a lack of loungers. The
reservation system that seems to be prevalent at most of these resorts
stinks. We were always up early and we would have to pick our spots to
reserve them with our towels. I hated doing this but you have no other
option. By 11 am most are marked. Since most of these loungers remained
empty for hours at a time I have no doubt that some people would mark
loungers both at the beach and pool and alternate between the two or not
even use them.



Room Service 10

We used room service to some degree almost every day. One of the biggest
improvements we saw between this visit and our last was the increased speed
and efficiency of the room service. Since our last trip they've started
making deliveries with Kawasaki "Mule" utility vehicles. We waited no
longer than 30 minutes any time we ordered.



They have a menu in the room with listings in French, German, Spanish and
English. 24 hours a day you can order from a selection including, shrimp
cocktail, beef carpaccio, smoked salmon, club sandwiches, filet mignon,
sirloin steak, grilled sea bass, pizza any style, etc...In addition to the
food you can have a bottle of champagne, rum or cerveza(s) delivered.
Anything you want.



Delivering our room service each night was Amaury. We remembered him and he
remembered us from the first trip here almost four years ago. At the time he
was a waiter in El Romantico. The service he gave us was exceptional. There
was one time we ordered and the person on the other end of the phone didn't
quite understand our weak attempt at ordering in Spanish, especially after
the number of Cuba Libras we had drank that night !!. We didn't know quite
enough Spanish and his English was not much better than our Spanish (that's
another improvement, the staff's English is markedly improved since our last
visit). Amaury saw the order and called us to make sure the waiter had it
right. It turned out instead of a "four seasons" pizza we ordered four
pizzas !! If you go and see Amaury tip him well and tell him Marc and
Denise from room 1063 say Hi !!



Maid, Mini Bar and Restaurant service 9

Like Amaury, we made friends with Ruben who worked at the Rodizio
restaurant. We only ate there once and his service was excellent but we saw
him several times after that. He would always go out of his way to say hi to
us and to bring me a cigar or two whenever he saw us walking about. He gets
a 10.



Our maid and mini bar staff also get a 10. Our room was always made up
early. Usually by 11:00 am and never later than 1:00 pm. We always had
plenty of towels and fresh flowers scattered about the room. The floors were
mopped, the sheets fit the bed and we always had two extra rolls of TP. The
mini bar was re-stocked every day. Any time something was taken out it was
replaced the next day. They no longer put beer in the mini bars unless you
ask for them so be sure to ask !! We never had less than four cervezas
stocked in there once we asked.



For the most part the restaurant staff was very good. There were a few times
when we waited for coffee to be served at breakfast, or our drink or food
order to be taken but for the most part it was fine. Once our orders were
taken our meals often were prepared and served more quickly than in
restaurants back home. On one occasion Denise ordered the caprese salad (
fresh mozzarella and tomato) as an appetizer at lunch at Dolce Vita. They
brought her the beef carpaccio (raw filet mignon sliced very thin) instead.
That was fine, I gave her my parma prosciutto appetizer and ate hers. It was
delicious and I had it two more times on the trip.



Bars 10

There are four main bars at the Paradisus. Surprisingly even the beach bar
had a selection of top shelf alchohol, all of which are included. We saw
such brands as Stolis, Absolute, Tangueray, Beefeaters, Grand Marnier,
Drambuie, Tia Maria, Baileys, Kahlua, Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort,
Canadian Club, Cutty Sark Johnny Walker Black and Red, Amaretto de Sarona,
Chivas, Frangelico, Fonsecca Port, Contreau etc. throughout the resort. In
addition you can get bottles of wine and champagne with or without meals.
They have a selection of about 15 wines, Merlots, Cabs, Chardonnays, Zins
and Pinots from Chili, Argentina, France and Italy that are included, plus a
separate list of wines and champagnes you could pay extra for. We never had
a long wait to get a drink at any of the bars and they would make them as
strong as you wish or with any brand you preferred. I stuck mostly with the
Cuba Libras (rum and coke) and I asked for them to be made with mucho Brugal
extra viejo rum. Very tasty.



The beach bar, Chiringuito, is located right on the beach in a little pink
shack. They have four tables and a few chairs set up so you can sit and look
at the ocean or do some people watching. They also serve grilled ham and
cheese sandwiches if you get hungry.



The Pool Bar, which has service both in the pool and out. You can get
burgers, fries etc. served here if you get hungry. They always had lively
music playing and it would be hopping between lunch and dinner. It was a
great place to hang out and meet people. Each day we would follow up lunch
with a few drinks in the pool.



The Hybiscus Bar which serves the restaurant area near the beach and pool.
You could get your drinks at the bar or have a seat in the lounge and have a
waitress serve you. There were several large couches and overstuffed chairs
throughout the bar/lounge to relax in. There is also a large pagoda style
open aired gazebo outside this building situated between the pool and the
Chinese and Spanish restaurants. More big couches and huge marble tables.
This also serves as a waiting area at night if you had to wait for a table
in one of the restaurants near the pool area.



The Lobby Bar. As you probably can guess this was located in the lobby at
the entrance of the resort. This was a favorite hangout at night when either
waiting for dinner at the Mexican or Japanese restaurant or for an after
dinner drink while waiting for a show or the fun pub to open (11:00 pm).
This was the most elegant of all the bars. Several nights they would have
live entertainment such as a singer or piano player playing before the
shows. It's a large open aired, marble tiled area with fish ponds, fountains
and water falls running down the length on the entire lobby. More big
couches and chairs to lounge in and drinks will be served to you if you don'
t want to go to the bar for them. They also have six bench swings lining one
end of the lobby that you relax on.





Beach 10

As has never been disputed in any trip report, this beach is one of the
finest in the Caribbean. A wide stretch of white sand and beautiful blue
water. Great wave action too if you like that which we do. Every day right
after breakfast we would walk the beach for 2-3 hours, going as far as
Breezes in one direction or the Melia Tropical in the other. You'll find
shopping available on the beach in several areas of vendor tents. They'll
call you to come see their stores but a simple no gracias would does the
trick if you're not interested.



The area in front of the Paradisus might be the nicest we saw on all of our
walks, rivaled only by the Rius. One thing we liked about the Rius is the
shade offered by the numerous Palm Trees between the hotel and beach. At the
Paradisus they do have several Palapas but they were taken early. We got up
one morning at 5:00 am to take pictures of the sunrise and noticed that
several were already reserved (obviously from the day before). We could have
reserved one but we felt bad doing that and being gone for 3 hours on our
walks. As for loungers, there are hundreds and it amazes me that they all
get taken by 11:00 am. I hate to advocate it but reserve them as needed on
your way to breakfast.



Food 8

You only need reservations at the Japanese and El Romantico restaurants. I
made our reservations via email for El Romantico two weeks before we left.
They didn't have a record of this when we arrived but guest services took
care of it and made them for us. Nothing was bad, most was good and some
outstanding but I'll rate each restaurant individually.



Palapa Grill 8

It's not advertised as serving breakfast but it does. We had breakfast here
every morning as opposed to the Hybiscus Buffet. It's located right on the
beach and is open aired so you can get your day started with the beautiful
ocean and beach right in front of you. The food consisted of the usual
breakfast buffet. Fruits, juices, cereals, pastries, omelets, eggs, bacon,
sausage, potatoes, a carving station, one morning it would be roast
tenderloin of beef, another day it was ham, etc.. The service here was a
little spotty. They only had two servers dispensing coffee to the entire
restaurant and we saw several people get frustrated that it took so long to
get coffee. It even got to me one morning ( but I'm not exactly a morning
person ) so I think adding a few extra servers would be a good idea.



Hybiscus Buffet 7

We only ate here the first night since we didn't get to the resort until
8:00 pm. The buffet is about half the size of what it was the last time we
stayed here. They built the Rodizio restaurant and a service bar in one
section of the Hybiscus and downsized the actual buffet. It's still a pretty
good selection of food but not on the grand scale that it used to be. On the
positive side they enclosed the buffet in an air conditioned room so it's no
longer subject to birds, flies or any unsanitary conditions that occur in
such open aired buffets.



Dolce Vita 8

We ate at the Dolce Vita almost every day for lunch. It's the only ala carte
open at lunch time at the Paradisus. They also serve dinner but the menu is
almost identical at night so we never had dinner there. We would usually
have either a bottle of Castillo del Diablo (castle of the devil) Merlot, a
surprisingly good wine served in ½ sized bottles or dos cervezas served with
our meal.



For appetizers we alternated between the Parma Prosciutto served antipasto
style with roasted peppers, white asparagus, olives and mixed greens. Very
tasty. The Caprese Salad which was fresh vine ripe tomatoes and fresh
mozzarella or the earlier mentioned Beef Carpaccio, which is paper thin
slices of beef tenderloin drizzled with a basil olive oil. They also give
you a small bowl of diced tomatoes and olive oil and a basket of grilled
bruschetta when you are seated. This was very simple but very delicious.



Every day my wife had the grilled red snapper for lunch. It was a perfect
sized lunch portion and very fresh. Delicious. I mostly ate the seafood trio
which consisted of calamari, shrimp and what I think was grouper. It was
great. On our last day I decided to order the escallops of veal. It was
pretty mediocre and I had wished I'd stuck with the seafood trio.



We also had several of their pizzas delivered for room service throughout
our stay. They are small but delicious and perfect for a snack.



Rodizio 8

This was the Brazilian ala carte restaurant. It was a fixed menu. You would
start with a soup, salad and appetizer bar. Next you were brought a plate of
fried plantains and potato strips. Following this the waiters would bring
around one at a time and all carved from long skewers, portions of chicken,
sausage, turkey medallions wrapped in bacon, roast lamb, pork loin and filet
mignon. All very tasty.



Antojitos 9

The ala carte Mexican restaurant. It was one of my favorites. Corona is
available here if you want but I stuck with the Presidente. You start with
the app-salad-soup bar. The guacamole, marinated ranchero style beef (you
must add the spicy green chili salsa on top !!) and tortilla soup were
great. I had the pork enchiladas and Denise had the chicken fajitas. The
fajitas were good and the enchiladas excellent. We followed this up with the
flaming crepes served with ice cream and flaming Mexican coffees for
dessert.



La Albufera 7

Spanish steakhouse restaurant. You start with the salad-soup-app-bar and we
ordered a bottle of Luna di Luna pinot grigio. Nice and light and not too
sweet. You have choices of filet mignon, sirloin, t-bone, lamb chops, pork
etc.. I don't know why but I decided on the chicken supreme. It was just a
plain grilled chicken breast served with potatoes and vegetables. It wasn't
bad but I felt short changed when I saw how spectacular some of the other
plates being served all around me. Denise had the filet of dorado. It was
fabulous. I'm left again very impressed with the quality and freshness of
the seafood we had here.



Chinese Pavilion 9

This was the traditional Chinese ala carte. We considered mai tais but
ordered the Luna di Luna again. We started with appetizers of steamed won
tons and vegetable springrolls. Very good. Next we had one each of the hot
and sour soup and the seafood tofu soup. Both excellent. For dinner I had
the Cantonese duck breast served with a hoisin dipping sauce and Denise had
the shrimp and broccoli in oyster sauce. Hers was good, mine was
outstanding. One of the best duck entrees I've ever had.



Marino 7

This is the seafood grill ala carte. It's actually the Palapa grill during
the day but converted into a very romantic waterfront restaurant at night.
We started with an Italian Valpolicella red that was good. For appetizers we
had the fried calamari served with tartar sauce and a shrimp casserole. The
calamari was ok but not nearly as good as what was served in the seafood
trio at the Dolce Vita. The shrimp was good. It was broiled in a casserole
dish with whole cloves of garlic and lots of butter. I had the grilled
lobster for dinner and Denise the grilled red snapper. The lobster was good.
Split in half and grilled with a lime butter. The snapper was fresh and
tasty but is grilled whole (headless) and served with all of the bones. If
you don't like bones in your fish don't order this one.



El Romantico 9

This is the gourmet French ala carte restaurant and reservations are needed.
Service is outstanding and the restaurant is beautiful. We again started
with the Valpolicella for our wine. For appetizers we had the shrimp
cocktail and the roasted red pepper filled with lobster mousse. The shrimp
were good but they are served with thousand island dressing as opposed to
cocktail sauce. The lobster mousse was outstanding. For our entrée we had
the chateau briand for two. It's served and carved tableside and served with
turned carrots and turned potatoes and two sauces, béarnaise and green
peppercorn. Beautiful presentation. For dessert we split an order of flaming
crepes. They're made with grand marnier, cinnamon sticks, orange zest and
raisins and served to you flaming. We should have each gotten one, they were
so good. Denise also had a Frangelico and I had a glass of Port.





Miscellaneous

One day we each got a massage. 60 minutes at the pool for $60 us. It was
worth every penny. They also offer them in their Spa for $70. The spa also
houses a fitness center, sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. The only requirement
for using the gym is to wear sneakers. In a space saving move before we left
I decided I'd work out this time in my Tivas. Needless to say I don't have a
review of the equipment in the gym but it looked to be in good condition.



Part of the reason I wanted to save space was because we brought down a good
amount of school supplies that we had bought to donate. We contacted Marcos
at the Paradisus before we left and made arrangements with him to deliver
them for us.



We shopped at Plaza Bavaro and it's basically an indoor version of the beach
shops. Do your homework before you shop. Look at what stuff is selling for
in your hotel gift shops and you'll know you should be paying less than that
since the gift shops are usually overpriced.



There's much to do at the resort and it's all included. Tennis, Scuba,
Horseback Riding, Sailing, Kayaks, Golf (have to pay for the cart), Bikes,
etc.. You can do as much or as little as you want.



Learn a little Spanish before you go. There are free translation sites all
over the internet. I made up a list of about 25 words and phrases that I
studied and brought with us. Even though English was more prevalent than our
last trip our attempts at Spanish were appreciated.



Tipping. It's not required but we did. If you choose to tip it's going where
it's much needed.



Summary

Our opinion is that the Paradisus is a fabulous resort. A tremendous value
for what you pay. The services and amenities are comparable to resorts that
cost twice as much on any other island in the Caribbean. We usually like to
travel to different destinations each vacation and this was the first time
we returned to a resort that we'd been to before. We had such a great time
that our next trip is going to be back to the Paradisus.



I hope this report helps answer any questions people may have had about this
resort and I apologize ahead of time for its length.



Happy Travels !!

Cramden and Denise








  #2  
Old April 25th, 2004, 04:29 AM
RKELC
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Paradisus Punta Cana trip report (long) and Pics

Great review Cramden......

Love the Pics too....

We're also from Ct.(NW corner)......

My family of 4 will be heading down to the Bavaro Princess in a few months
and can't wait for it to happen (10 nights)....almost wondering if we should
have reserved Paradisus Punta Cana instead after reading your
comments.....(Our 1st time heading to the DR).....Thanks again for the
wonderful and thorough review...

Regards.....
Rick


"Cramden" wrote in message
...
Pics here,
http://community.webshots.com/user/mjcramden

Report below. Any questions I'll be glad to answer.

-Cramden

My wife and I vacationed at the Paradisus Punta Cana the week of April
10-17, 2004. It was our second trip to the Paradisus and third to the
Dominican Republic.



We traveled with USA 3000, a charter airline that handles most of Apple
Vacations' package flights. We flew directly from Hartford to Punta Cana

on
time and without as much as a whimper from my wife who enjoys flying about
as much as getting a root canal. The flight included a movie (Big Fish),
complimentary mimosas and the basic in flight meal of chicken or lasagna.

I
would have no problems flying them again. Arrival and processing at the
airport went smoothly. We disembarked, paid for our tourist cards, had our
luggage and were in a cab heading for the Paradisus 30 minutes after
landing. We decided to take a Taxi ($22 US) instead of the bus to save

time
and get to the resort sooner. After the usual eventful taxi ride in which
rules of the road are optional and after almost running into in no
particular order, a cow, a motorcycle and an oncoming bus we made it to

the
resort. About a 30 minute drive.



Check-in was smooth. We were given our bracelets (not plastic, but

fashioned
out of coconut shells) room keys, towel cards, safe lock and key and
information packet about the resort. It included an information "Passport"
for the resort which contained everything you needed to know about the
Paradisus such as descriptions of all of the restaurants including dress
codes, numbers to call for room service, to have your mini-bar restocked,
maid service, laundry service, etc. The packet also contained a Paradisus
"Dictionary" which included useful phrases in Spanish. The only negative
about check-in was the quick hit by the Melia Vacation Club staff when you
leave the registration desk trying to get you to visit the Melia
Tropical/Carib. I was prepared for this so I politely said we weren't
interested and continued to the tram that would take us and our luggage to
the room. We had requested ahead of time via email a corner room with a

king
sized bed and were happy to see that's what we received, room 1063 in
Bungalow #6. It's set in a great location on the perimeter of the resort
near the neighboring and quiet Bavaro Princess. Not as much foot traffic

as
there would be in a room closer to the pool so we had quite a bit of

privacy
on our deck. I like the corner units because you only have another room on
one side of you and the deck is a bit larger.



From this point of the review on I'll be breaking down the resort into

specific areas and grading them on a 1-10 scale.



Room 8

The room was nice. It was refurbished since the last time we were there

but
I actually preferred the old style of interior better. It used to be
furnished in bright colors, aqua, pink , orange with lighter colored

wicker
furniture. Very Caribbean. But now the furniture was made of darker woods
and fabrics, more plush and I guess richer looking. Beautiful but we still
preferred the other.



The bathroom is to the right as you first walk in the door. It consists

of
2 rooms completely tiled from floor to counter top. The first contains the
sink surrounded by mirrors from counter top to ceiling. Plenty of counter
space for any essentials you may need. There is also a basket containing
about 8 types of creams, soaps, shampoos and lotions. A hair dryer is on

the
wall so there is no need to bring one. On the front of the counter top is

a
towel rack where two hand towels and two wash clothes are hung. On the
opposite wall from the sink is the closet. It has 2 large full length
mirrors as sliding doors. In the closet are 12 hangers and plenty of shelf
space to store luggage, bags or clothes that you may have. There's also an
iron and ironing board, umbrella and the room safe.



The second room is separated by a door from the first. In it are the

toilet,
bidet and shower. The shower will not flood the bathroom as I've read in
another report if you keep the shower curtain "inside" the tub. The wall

on
the far end of the shower contained a towel rack that held two large bath
towels. Two floor towels were always available to use for stepping out of
the tub after your shower. Water pressure and/or lack of hot water were
never an issue as we had plenty of both.



Leaving the bathroom brings you to the sleeping area. Our room consisted

of
a king sized bed (firm but comfortable) with three fluffy pillows two
bedside tables and lamps, ceiling fan/light and a large mirrored

table-desk-
bureau. This bureau had three more drawers on either side which could be
used as more storage for your clothing. The AC unit was also in this
section. It had a high-medium-low-off switch. The unit worked fine and we
had to turn it to low several times even though it was in the high 80's
outside. Stepping down one step brings you to the sitting area. In it

were
a couch and loveseat, coffee table, corner table and lamp, a small round
dining table with 2 chairs , and a counter area where the mini fridge was
hidden and had a TV, microwave and four cup coffee maker on top. There

were
also two sliding doors which led out to our deck. We always spent some

time
here before going to dinner and before turning in for the night enjoying a
few cervezas, champagne, cigars (me) etc. We packed a few candles that we
would light on the deck at night to help set the mood. Very nice way to

end
the day.





Grounds 10

Still without a doubt, the most well kept resort we've ever been to. I run
out of adjectives trying to do justice to this place in my description.

The
rooms are in two story bungalows. Each bungalow contains 16 rooms. In
between each bungalow are scores of flowering plants, palm and banana

trees,
fountains, statues, coy ponds, green grass and interconnecting stone walk
ways. The walkways are illuminated at night on either side with low

wattage
light fixtures spaced every few feet. The lushness of the property always
seems to give you a sense of privacy no matter where you are or how

crowded
the resort is. It was filled to capacity this week and it never felt that
way. We saw groundskeepers from 6:00 am until late at night working
throughout the property. Planting, pruning and raking, putting new roofs

on
palapas etc. They work very hard. We ended up tipping a few of them a few
dollars just to let them know we appreciated the work they do too. Their
smiles were worth 10 times every dollar we gave them !!



The walk from the bungalows to the lobby is about 5 minutes. The area in
between the two is beautiful. Nothing but tropical vegetation and Taino
statues on either side of the cobblestone roadway. The roadways are also
lined with the same lighting as the paths so walking at night is not a
problem. They've also added a new Ecopass walk to the resort. It's a short
walk through the mangroves where you'll see several Birds, Iguanas and
Monkeys. A good way to kill 10 minutes but not as nice as the Eco walk

used
to be through the old Melia Bavaro (now Bavaro Princess).





Pool 10

Their website states the pool is one of the largest free standing pools in
the Caribbean. I can't speak for the rest of the Caribbean but it is big.

I
tried capturing the size on film but you can't. The pool breaks off into

too
many sections, all surrounded by palms so you can never get an idea of its
scope through pictures. It's about 5.5 feet at it's deepest but mostly

about
4.5 the rest of the way. There are fountains, islands, unheated Jacuzzi,
water sports section and a very large palapa style swim up bar within the
pool. Surrounding the pool are scores of loungers, dozens of palapas and
several large palapa beds. The resort has a lounger in every place

possible
so I don't fault them for the reports about a lack of loungers. The
reservation system that seems to be prevalent at most of these resorts
stinks. We were always up early and we would have to pick our spots to
reserve them with our towels. I hated doing this but you have no other
option. By 11 am most are marked. Since most of these loungers remained
empty for hours at a time I have no doubt that some people would mark
loungers both at the beach and pool and alternate between the two or not
even use them.



Room Service 10

We used room service to some degree almost every day. One of the biggest
improvements we saw between this visit and our last was the increased

speed
and efficiency of the room service. Since our last trip they've started
making deliveries with Kawasaki "Mule" utility vehicles. We waited no
longer than 30 minutes any time we ordered.



They have a menu in the room with listings in French, German, Spanish and
English. 24 hours a day you can order from a selection including, shrimp
cocktail, beef carpaccio, smoked salmon, club sandwiches, filet mignon,
sirloin steak, grilled sea bass, pizza any style, etc...In addition to the
food you can have a bottle of champagne, rum or cerveza(s) delivered.
Anything you want.



Delivering our room service each night was Amaury. We remembered him and

he
remembered us from the first trip here almost four years ago. At the time

he
was a waiter in El Romantico. The service he gave us was exceptional.

There
was one time we ordered and the person on the other end of the phone

didn't
quite understand our weak attempt at ordering in Spanish, especially after
the number of Cuba Libras we had drank that night !!. We didn't know quite
enough Spanish and his English was not much better than our Spanish

(that's
another improvement, the staff's English is markedly improved since our

last
visit). Amaury saw the order and called us to make sure the waiter had it
right. It turned out instead of a "four seasons" pizza we ordered four
pizzas !! If you go and see Amaury tip him well and tell him Marc and
Denise from room 1063 say Hi !!



Maid, Mini Bar and Restaurant service 9

Like Amaury, we made friends with Ruben who worked at the Rodizio
restaurant. We only ate there once and his service was excellent but we

saw
him several times after that. He would always go out of his way to say hi

to
us and to bring me a cigar or two whenever he saw us walking about. He

gets
a 10.



Our maid and mini bar staff also get a 10. Our room was always made up
early. Usually by 11:00 am and never later than 1:00 pm. We always had
plenty of towels and fresh flowers scattered about the room. The floors

were
mopped, the sheets fit the bed and we always had two extra rolls of TP.

The
mini bar was re-stocked every day. Any time something was taken out it was
replaced the next day. They no longer put beer in the mini bars unless you
ask for them so be sure to ask !! We never had less than four cervezas
stocked in there once we asked.



For the most part the restaurant staff was very good. There were a few

times
when we waited for coffee to be served at breakfast, or our drink or food
order to be taken but for the most part it was fine. Once our orders were
taken our meals often were prepared and served more quickly than in
restaurants back home. On one occasion Denise ordered the caprese salad (
fresh mozzarella and tomato) as an appetizer at lunch at Dolce Vita. They
brought her the beef carpaccio (raw filet mignon sliced very thin)

instead.
That was fine, I gave her my parma prosciutto appetizer and ate hers. It

was
delicious and I had it two more times on the trip.



Bars 10

There are four main bars at the Paradisus. Surprisingly even the beach bar
had a selection of top shelf alchohol, all of which are included. We saw
such brands as Stolis, Absolute, Tangueray, Beefeaters, Grand Marnier,
Drambuie, Tia Maria, Baileys, Kahlua, Jack Daniels, Southern Comfort,
Canadian Club, Cutty Sark Johnny Walker Black and Red, Amaretto de Sarona,
Chivas, Frangelico, Fonsecca Port, Contreau etc. throughout the resort.

In
addition you can get bottles of wine and champagne with or without meals.
They have a selection of about 15 wines, Merlots, Cabs, Chardonnays, Zins
and Pinots from Chili, Argentina, France and Italy that are included, plus

a
separate list of wines and champagnes you could pay extra for. We never

had
a long wait to get a drink at any of the bars and they would make them as
strong as you wish or with any brand you preferred. I stuck mostly with

the
Cuba Libras (rum and coke) and I asked for them to be made with mucho

Brugal
extra viejo rum. Very tasty.



The beach bar, Chiringuito, is located right on the beach in a little pink
shack. They have four tables and a few chairs set up so you can sit and

look
at the ocean or do some people watching. They also serve grilled ham and
cheese sandwiches if you get hungry.



The Pool Bar, which has service both in the pool and out. You can get
burgers, fries etc. served here if you get hungry. They always had lively
music playing and it would be hopping between lunch and dinner. It was a
great place to hang out and meet people. Each day we would follow up lunch
with a few drinks in the pool.



The Hybiscus Bar which serves the restaurant area near the beach and pool.
You could get your drinks at the bar or have a seat in the lounge and have

a
waitress serve you. There were several large couches and overstuffed

chairs
throughout the bar/lounge to relax in. There is also a large pagoda style
open aired gazebo outside this building situated between the pool and the
Chinese and Spanish restaurants. More big couches and huge marble tables.
This also serves as a waiting area at night if you had to wait for a table
in one of the restaurants near the pool area.



The Lobby Bar. As you probably can guess this was located in the lobby at
the entrance of the resort. This was a favorite hangout at night when

either
waiting for dinner at the Mexican or Japanese restaurant or for an after
dinner drink while waiting for a show or the fun pub to open (11:00 pm).
This was the most elegant of all the bars. Several nights they would have
live entertainment such as a singer or piano player playing before the
shows. It's a large open aired, marble tiled area with fish ponds,

fountains
and water falls running down the length on the entire lobby. More big
couches and chairs to lounge in and drinks will be served to you if you

don'
t want to go to the bar for them. They also have six bench swings lining

one
end of the lobby that you relax on.





Beach 10

As has never been disputed in any trip report, this beach is one of the
finest in the Caribbean. A wide stretch of white sand and beautiful blue
water. Great wave action too if you like that which we do. Every day right
after breakfast we would walk the beach for 2-3 hours, going as far as
Breezes in one direction or the Melia Tropical in the other. You'll find
shopping available on the beach in several areas of vendor tents. They'll
call you to come see their stores but a simple no gracias would does the
trick if you're not interested.



The area in front of the Paradisus might be the nicest we saw on all of

our
walks, rivaled only by the Rius. One thing we liked about the Rius is the
shade offered by the numerous Palm Trees between the hotel and beach. At

the
Paradisus they do have several Palapas but they were taken early. We got

up
one morning at 5:00 am to take pictures of the sunrise and noticed that
several were already reserved (obviously from the day before). We could

have
reserved one but we felt bad doing that and being gone for 3 hours on our
walks. As for loungers, there are hundreds and it amazes me that they all
get taken by 11:00 am. I hate to advocate it but reserve them as needed on
your way to breakfast.



Food 8

You only need reservations at the Japanese and El Romantico restaurants. I
made our reservations via email for El Romantico two weeks before we left.
They didn't have a record of this when we arrived but guest services took
care of it and made them for us. Nothing was bad, most was good and some
outstanding but I'll rate each restaurant individually.



Palapa Grill 8

It's not advertised as serving breakfast but it does. We had breakfast

here
every morning as opposed to the Hybiscus Buffet. It's located right on the
beach and is open aired so you can get your day started with the beautiful
ocean and beach right in front of you. The food consisted of the usual
breakfast buffet. Fruits, juices, cereals, pastries, omelets, eggs, bacon,
sausage, potatoes, a carving station, one morning it would be roast
tenderloin of beef, another day it was ham, etc.. The service here was a
little spotty. They only had two servers dispensing coffee to the entire
restaurant and we saw several people get frustrated that it took so long

to
get coffee. It even got to me one morning ( but I'm not exactly a morning
person ) so I think adding a few extra servers would be a good idea.



Hybiscus Buffet 7

We only ate here the first night since we didn't get to the resort until
8:00 pm. The buffet is about half the size of what it was the last time we
stayed here. They built the Rodizio restaurant and a service bar in one
section of the Hybiscus and downsized the actual buffet. It's still a

pretty
good selection of food but not on the grand scale that it used to be. On

the
positive side they enclosed the buffet in an air conditioned room so it's

no
longer subject to birds, flies or any unsanitary conditions that occur in
such open aired buffets.



Dolce Vita 8

We ate at the Dolce Vita almost every day for lunch. It's the only ala

carte
open at lunch time at the Paradisus. They also serve dinner but the menu

is
almost identical at night so we never had dinner there. We would usually
have either a bottle of Castillo del Diablo (castle of the devil) Merlot,

a
surprisingly good wine served in ½ sized bottles or dos cervezas served

with
our meal.



For appetizers we alternated between the Parma Prosciutto served antipasto
style with roasted peppers, white asparagus, olives and mixed greens. Very
tasty. The Caprese Salad which was fresh vine ripe tomatoes and fresh
mozzarella or the earlier mentioned Beef Carpaccio, which is paper thin
slices of beef tenderloin drizzled with a basil olive oil. They also

give
you a small bowl of diced tomatoes and olive oil and a basket of grilled
bruschetta when you are seated. This was very simple but very delicious.



Every day my wife had the grilled red snapper for lunch. It was a perfect
sized lunch portion and very fresh. Delicious. I mostly ate the seafood

trio
which consisted of calamari, shrimp and what I think was grouper. It was
great. On our last day I decided to order the escallops of veal. It was
pretty mediocre and I had wished I'd stuck with the seafood trio.



We also had several of their pizzas delivered for room service throughout
our stay. They are small but delicious and perfect for a snack.



Rodizio 8

This was the Brazilian ala carte restaurant. It was a fixed menu. You

would
start with a soup, salad and appetizer bar. Next you were brought a plate

of
fried plantains and potato strips. Following this the waiters would bring
around one at a time and all carved from long skewers, portions of

chicken,
sausage, turkey medallions wrapped in bacon, roast lamb, pork loin and

filet
mignon. All very tasty.



Antojitos 9

The ala carte Mexican restaurant. It was one of my favorites. Corona is
available here if you want but I stuck with the Presidente. You start with
the app-salad-soup bar. The guacamole, marinated ranchero style beef (you
must add the spicy green chili salsa on top !!) and tortilla soup were
great. I had the pork enchiladas and Denise had the chicken fajitas. The
fajitas were good and the enchiladas excellent. We followed this up with

the
flaming crepes served with ice cream and flaming Mexican coffees for
dessert.



La Albufera 7

Spanish steakhouse restaurant. You start with the salad-soup-app-bar and

we
ordered a bottle of Luna di Luna pinot grigio. Nice and light and not too
sweet. You have choices of filet mignon, sirloin, t-bone, lamb chops,

pork
etc.. I don't know why but I decided on the chicken supreme. It was just a
plain grilled chicken breast served with potatoes and vegetables. It

wasn't
bad but I felt short changed when I saw how spectacular some of the other
plates being served all around me. Denise had the filet of dorado. It was
fabulous. I'm left again very impressed with the quality and freshness of
the seafood we had here.



Chinese Pavilion 9

This was the traditional Chinese ala carte. We considered mai tais but
ordered the Luna di Luna again. We started with appetizers of steamed won
tons and vegetable springrolls. Very good. Next we had one each of the hot
and sour soup and the seafood tofu soup. Both excellent. For dinner I had
the Cantonese duck breast served with a hoisin dipping sauce and Denise

had
the shrimp and broccoli in oyster sauce. Hers was good, mine was
outstanding. One of the best duck entrees I've ever had.



Marino 7

This is the seafood grill ala carte. It's actually the Palapa grill during
the day but converted into a very romantic waterfront restaurant at night.
We started with an Italian Valpolicella red that was good. For appetizers

we
had the fried calamari served with tartar sauce and a shrimp casserole.

The
calamari was ok but not nearly as good as what was served in the seafood
trio at the Dolce Vita. The shrimp was good. It was broiled in a casserole
dish with whole cloves of garlic and lots of butter. I had the grilled
lobster for dinner and Denise the grilled red snapper. The lobster was

good.
Split in half and grilled with a lime butter. The snapper was fresh and
tasty but is grilled whole (headless) and served with all of the bones. If
you don't like bones in your fish don't order this one.



El Romantico 9

This is the gourmet French ala carte restaurant and reservations are

needed.
Service is outstanding and the restaurant is beautiful. We again started
with the Valpolicella for our wine. For appetizers we had the shrimp
cocktail and the roasted red pepper filled with lobster mousse. The shrimp
were good but they are served with thousand island dressing as opposed to
cocktail sauce. The lobster mousse was outstanding. For our entrée we had
the chateau briand for two. It's served and carved tableside and served

with
turned carrots and turned potatoes and two sauces, béarnaise and green
peppercorn. Beautiful presentation. For dessert we split an order of

flaming
crepes. They're made with grand marnier, cinnamon sticks, orange zest and
raisins and served to you flaming. We should have each gotten one, they

were
so good. Denise also had a Frangelico and I had a glass of Port.





Miscellaneous

One day we each got a massage. 60 minutes at the pool for $60 us. It was
worth every penny. They also offer them in their Spa for $70. The spa

also
houses a fitness center, sauna, jacuzzi and steam room. The only

requirement
for using the gym is to wear sneakers. In a space saving move before we

left
I decided I'd work out this time in my Tivas. Needless to say I don't have

a
review of the equipment in the gym but it looked to be in good condition.



Part of the reason I wanted to save space was because we brought down a

good
amount of school supplies that we had bought to donate. We contacted

Marcos
at the Paradisus before we left and made arrangements with him to deliver
them for us.



We shopped at Plaza Bavaro and it's basically an indoor version of the

beach
shops. Do your homework before you shop. Look at what stuff is selling for
in your hotel gift shops and you'll know you should be paying less than

that
since the gift shops are usually overpriced.



There's much to do at the resort and it's all included. Tennis, Scuba,
Horseback Riding, Sailing, Kayaks, Golf (have to pay for the cart), Bikes,
etc.. You can do as much or as little as you want.



Learn a little Spanish before you go. There are free translation sites all
over the internet. I made up a list of about 25 words and phrases that I
studied and brought with us. Even though English was more prevalent than

our
last trip our attempts at Spanish were appreciated.



Tipping. It's not required but we did. If you choose to tip it's going

where
it's much needed.



Summary

Our opinion is that the Paradisus is a fabulous resort. A tremendous value
for what you pay. The services and amenities are comparable to resorts

that
cost twice as much on any other island in the Caribbean. We usually like

to
travel to different destinations each vacation and this was the first time
we returned to a resort that we'd been to before. We had such a great time
that our next trip is going to be back to the Paradisus.



I hope this report helps answer any questions people may have had about

this
resort and I apologize ahead of time for its length.



Happy Travels !!

Cramden and Denise








  #3  
Old April 25th, 2004, 11:32 PM
Hai Pham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Paradisus Punta Cana trip report (long) and Pics

Cramden,

Thanks. We are planning to go vacation in August, what do you think about it
compare with Mexico such as Cancun? May I ask how much did it cost?

Hai Pham
"Cramden" wrote in message
...
Pics here,
http://community.webshots.com/user/mjcramden

Report below. Any questions I'll be glad to answer.

-Cramden

My wife and I vacationed at the Paradisus Punta Cana the week of April
10-17, 2004. It was our second trip to the Paradisus and third to the
Dominican Republic.



[quoted text deleted -- deb]



  #4  
Old April 26th, 2004, 03:11 AM
Cramden
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Paradisus Punta Cana trip report (long) and Pics

"Hai Pham" wrote in message
...
Cramden,

Thanks. We are planning to go vacation in August, what do you think about

it
compare with Mexico such as Cancun? May I ask how much did it cost?

Hai Pham


Never been to Cancun but we have stayed in Playa del Carmen, and more
specifically the Riu Palace in the Playacar area.

As far as the comparing the two areas, if you're a beach person and want to
spend most of your time on the beach or at your resort, maybe doing an
excursion or two, you'll love Punta Cana. If you like to venture outside of
your resort to shop, eat, etc. Punta Cana may bore you and Playa del Carmen
would be the better choice.

For us, we've done some pretty extensive traveling in the past and now we
like to unwind on vacation and the Paradisus gives us just the right blend
of luxury and relaxation and the ability to walk for hours on the beach that
we're looking for.

We ended up paying about $1,400 per person for the week. I think a great
value when compared to comparable resorts on other islands although aside
from Secrets, the most expensive in PC.

Hope this helps,
Cramden
  #5  
Old April 28th, 2004, 01:11 AM
Hai Pham
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Paradisus Punta Cana trip report (long) and Pics

Cramden,

Thanks for your info. The price is a little bit high for us but may be you
went in April the price was higher. We found an offer around 1K for 2 in
Cancun and ~$900 for 4 of us (2 teenagers 15 & 18). I need to call her back
to find out exactly where is it only we got so far is 4 * hotel inclusive
include airfare from Philadelphia for a week from August 3.

Hai
"Cramden" wrote in message
...
"Hai Pham" wrote in message
...
Cramden,

Thanks. We are planning to go vacation in August, what do you think

about
it
compare with Mexico such as Cancun? May I ask how much did it cost?

Hai Pham


Never been to Cancun but we have stayed in Playa del Carmen, and more
specifically the Riu Palace in the Playacar area.

As far as the comparing the two areas, if you're a beach person and want

to
spend most of your time on the beach or at your resort, maybe doing an
excursion or two, you'll love Punta Cana. If you like to venture outside

of
your resort to shop, eat, etc. Punta Cana may bore you and Playa del

Carmen
would be the better choice.

For us, we've done some pretty extensive traveling in the past and now we
like to unwind on vacation and the Paradisus gives us just the right blend
of luxury and relaxation and the ability to walk for hours on the beach

that
we're looking for.

We ended up paying about $1,400 per person for the week. I think a great
value when compared to comparable resorts on other islands although aside
from Secrets, the most expensive in PC.

Hope this helps,
Cramden


  #6  
Old May 6th, 2004, 12:03 AM
Gary
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Paradisus Punta Cana trip report (long) and Pics

what is the rope for out in the water?


"Cramden" wrote in message
...
"Hai Pham" wrote in message
...
Cramden,

Thanks. We are planning to go vacation in August, what do you think

about
it
compare with Mexico such as Cancun? May I ask how much did it cost?

Hai Pham


Never been to Cancun but we have stayed in Playa del Carmen, and more
specifically the Riu Palace in the Playacar area.

As far as the comparing the two areas, if you're a beach person and want

to
spend most of your time on the beach or at your resort, maybe doing an
excursion or two, you'll love Punta Cana. If you like to venture outside

of
your resort to shop, eat, etc. Punta Cana may bore you and Playa del

Carmen
would be the better choice.

For us, we've done some pretty extensive traveling in the past and now we
like to unwind on vacation and the Paradisus gives us just the right blend
of luxury and relaxation and the ability to walk for hours on the beach

that
we're looking for.

We ended up paying about $1,400 per person for the week. I think a great
value when compared to comparable resorts on other islands although aside
from Secrets, the most expensive in PC.

Hope this helps,
Cramden

 




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