Me and my boyfriend travelled to the Dominican Republic with mixed views.

We decided to stay in the viva wydnham hotel in the playa dorada resort. When we reached the hotel we were a bit worried when only us and 2 other people got off at the hotel, giving us the impression that it wasn't very good. We were welcomed with a cold fruit drink, very pleasent ! 2 bell boys took our suitcases and carried them to our room while we checked in. The staff at the reception were very friendly and try very hard speaking English, and do a very good job! If I can remember correctly the man who served us was either named Joseph or Jesus so look out for him, he was very polite.

We were then taken up to our rooms were our suitcases were alreadly locacted. Please remember that these people do work for tips so a couple of dollar bills don't go a miss. The rooms were HUGE. Lots of space to move around, air conditioning, fridge with cola, sprite and water inside, a safe, a balcony with 2 seats, 2 WONDERFUL beds (the matresses were amazing, I wanted to take one home!!) and a clean cosey bathroom. There was also a TV and an alarm clock. There wasn't anything wrong with our room when we arrived which was a bonus. And we were not put in a place were there was a lot of noise. Another couple we spoke to were located right by the entertainment area but they said that they just went downstairs and asked to change rooms and that was fine !

A few problems were when they let the locals come in on the weekends. We got some noisey neighbours on the Saturday night but it wasn't so bad because they only stayed a couple of nights. Just remember that they come in on the Saturday and can get pretty loud but seem to be harmless.

THE FOOD:
The food at the buffet resturant changed every night and some of it was not very good at all but it really just depends on what you like. They always had a rice dish so I was pleased because I love rice. And they always had slices of pizzas for the more picky people, such as my boyfriend.The Ibiza restuarant was wonderful. (Remember you have to book for this one but its simple to do, just ask at the guest service bit) VERY NICE FRENCH ONION SOUP!!! and during the day the ibiza place is good for snacks on the beach. Never tried the chinese place so nothing to say about that.

There is a few restuarants near by the hotel in the plaza and we went to Hemmingways which was very nice, sort of like TGI Friday and people are normally handing out leaflets so keep a hold of one if you do go and it normally means you get a free starter or drink. (we got free drinks)

THE DRINKS:
I know it sounds wonderful that everything is all included etc but sadly the drinks are really not all that good. Very watered down but I must say I could not get enough of the pink ice drink with a wee drop of rum. I think it just depends what you like ! You can have cokes and sprite and coffee and tea, wine, beer, rum, vodka etc etc.

THE STAFF:
were wonderful. Very polite at all times. Always saying hello. Not many of them really want to be working at a hotel for the rest of there lifes but sadly its the only thing they can do to pay there bills but they seriously are really nice people just trying to get by. The entertainment staff work so hard, prepearing shows each night. We only went to them twice because the heat there makes you so damn tired (haha) but the nights we did go I was impressed at how much work they do.

THE BEACH:
was beautiful. Very clean, always loungers free and the sea is just lovely. Beach is very clean at all times, people always maintaining it and keeping the surrondings perfect. The only problem is the people coming up to you all the time asking if you want your hair braided or if you want to buy some jewllery or a coconut. Just say no thankyou and they tend to just move on. But they will keep trying all holiday haha.


Please DO NOT book the tours and excursions through your reps, book with the people along in the plaza or on the beach. They are SO much cheaper. But do not let them rip you off. If you go to the plaza, a guy called Alex ripped us off we think. Antiono was a good guy just trying to earn some cash.

DO NOT go in a taxi with anyone who will probably wait outside your hotel and offer you a trip into the city. We made the mistake of doing so and all he did was take us to his friends shop and make us buy things we did not want. Remember this place is a very poor place and all they want is cash!!!!

DO NOT HIRE A CAR. it will be the death of you. The people drive like mad people.

Please wear lots of sun cream though, we got home on Wednesday morning and my boyfriend is now suffering 3rd degree burns and blisters on his arms.

The Dominican Republic is a beautiful place - Please do enjoy yourself, but do not get ripped off when it comes to money.

My time at the wyndham hotel was great and we may return next year, possibly give another one of the hotels a shot.

One night a couple of drunks started banging on my kids door and scared them to death.I asked them to leave but they refused and became violent and one of them hit me. I yelled for security but the guard just stared at me from the balcony. I called my husband on our two way radio and he cornered one of the drunk man. When the guard saw my husband holding the man who hit me, only then he came and gave assistance.My husband then asked the guard why he did not respond in the beginning. The guard said he thought i was drunk and just screaming nonsense. He said the next time to scream the word "LADRON" instead and he will come running. Is he for real? This place is all inclusive all right, even getting hurt . Do not even think of coming here, or go at your own risk.

First of all apologies this review is a little late....I stayed here in the summer...but some of the negative reviews have prompted me to write an honest review!

I think the first thing to note is that people do not realise how poor/economically deprived the dominican republic is....therefore the acomodation/food is NEVER going to exactly parallel British/American standards. However, viva wyndham tried extremely hard to please their guests and we found everything to be very good.

Room:
We booked 2 junior suites which I would recommend as they are much larger than the standard rooms. There were 2 double beds, a little settee and the normal amenities you would find =) Beware....standard rooms do NOT have a balcony...so be aware of this when booking if you like to sit out on a balcony of an evening etc.

Maid service:
Very good....they were always pleasant, and always made the extra effort with our rooms when we gave them a small tip (its worth it!!)

Food:
Pretty good considering the country has limited resources of fruit and veg! Themed nights in the buffet were good and there was always a wide variety of choice!
The 2 a la carte restaurants are also good....we prefered the chinese to the ibiza as we found the ibiza had quite a limited menu and werent keen on the choice! Nevertheless, great service in both if you want to have table service =)

Pool area:
Charming, nice looking....maybe a tad small!
Enough sunbeds for everyone....even if you wanted a sunbed in the afternoon you would find one =)
Pool could do with more cleaning out as I found it a tad worn....but nothing really to moan about.

Beach:
Amazing....lovely clear waters....sometimes the sea was a bit rough so be careful with young children!
If you want to see an even more AMAZING beach, take a trip to paradise island...it is small but has perfectly blue waters...we were impressed!

Entertainment:
Probably the best bit about the hotel! Animation were amazing! Always getting people involved in the daytime.....always smiling etc! Nighttime shows were very professional and amusing, some better than others! There was a mini disco before the main entertainment which looked good for kids.

Overall, we had a fab 2 weeks and I would love to go back to the Dominican! The all inclusive was great, and I can't imagine many people being disappointed if you have booked to go here!
Have a fab time....and if anyone has any questions, dont hesitate to message me =)

I stayed at the Wyndham Viva Playa Dorada property from April 22 through April 29. I have a good experiences vacationing at other Wyndham properties and expected to be pleased. I was NOT!
I travelled with my husband and two young children. We have travelled to other localities and look forward to enjoying a good and relaxing family vacation! Unfortuanately, we had an OK time but would have had a BETTER time if it was not for particulars.
The hotel accomodations are moderate. The room size is above average but furnishings were poor. Renovation is needed. On our first day, we had a flood in the bathroom. The entire first and second floor had water. Upon maintenance arriving, the worker's response on why this occurred: We left the balcony door open and there was condensation. WHAT?! Mind you, we understand Spanish and there was no language barrier.
Positive? The rooms were clean..the hotel was clean. But housekeeping took their time. One time, we did not receive service until after 4 P.M. The guest services response to this: Do not put the sign on the door that you need service. WHAT?!
The front desk personnel was friendly and helpful but I have seen better. THe next day the cleaning staff came at 9 a.m.
KIds Club...There is no KIDS CLUB. Parents beware. The idea is good if it actually existed. In other hotels, the KIDS staff would encourage the children to participate. At Viva, The Kids Club "Superviosr" would pass the kids with a simple smile and continue on her way. It rarely was opened and I saw it opened twice. Once, it was a hangout for "animation"staff. Second time. parents were in the kiddie pool with their own kids. QUITE DISAPPOINTING! The MiniDisco...let's not go there.
Food... pretty OK. But make sure to get there when the Palmas opens since you have better selection. The Dining crew in the morning were superb! THe Bamboo and Ibiza were good but we gave the wait staff $20 dollars each visit. The dollar signs appear to improve performance!
Entertainment...if you call five young men gyrating their groins in patrons faces entertaining. It was embarassing. Certain staff even were drinking with guest. They were extremely unprofessional. The games were mediocre and the night show was ridiculous. The Entertainment Manager seemed to be under the impression that the night shows were of Broadway quality. NOT! THe pre-show was oversexed and so inappropriate. One positive...my son now pretends he is riding a "donkey" with a quarter in his butt! Thank you! THere was one staff member that is worth mentioning. A girl named Anny that at least made guest feel welcomed and was professional to say the least. It is a shame that the remainder of the staff were horrible. We stayed at another hotel that the entertainment staff worked so hard. These "kids" work long days and you felt bad. For Viva staff, I was appalled. They looked like they were vacationing. One particular staff member Oscar yelled to guest, "I hate my boss!". How unprofessional is that.
Management..The hotel needs better security in the sense of creating some crowd control. One day at the pool, local children vacationing with their families were jumping off the rocks of the pool. They did this for apporximately 20 minutes to 30 minutes. The parents were enjoying themselves at the bar. Since my room had yet to be made up, I had to go to guest services to complain. Finally, security came and took control. The kids were using the lifesavers as floatees. I thought I was a local community pool not a hotel.
Bar.. pretty good. They were accomodating. The women bartenders at Las Cuevas were very nice.
I do want to acknowledge certain staff that did make my trip at least bearable...the morning dining staff; the photography staff were very sweet (Belkis especially); the gym manager..there was not much wormen friendly equipment but he was professional and no nonsense; the diving instructor was very courteous; and the gift shop staff...excellent.
Would I return? Probably not. My kids did have a good time since we made it work for us. My husband and I had some good laughs! I can't say it was terrible because there were at least some respectable staff.