There were some bumps along the way, but overall we enjoyed our stay 5/21-5/25. We are in our mid 30’s and went for our anniversary. We opted for Royal Service which I think was well worth it and made the difference in our experience. The place is exceptionally large and beautiful. I can't say enough about the grounds and first class atmosphere. However, the food and service was good to great depending and could use improvement. RS check in went smooth and they were very helpful since we missed our entire first day due to the airline. They upgraded us complimentary to a suite which was very nice. Be sure to tell the driver Royal Service so you get off on the second stop. The room was a bit musty at first, but nothing a travel candle couldn’t fix. Bottled water, Rum, and soft drinks were provided in the room. After a few attempts we stopped trying to call our butler and just called the RS number for things. Only once did we have a problem with dinner reservations; but we called after 2 and got in with no problem (thanks RS). The water and sand were spectacular. The RS beach had seaweed, but the bali beds and bar service were great. There weren’t any floats to use in the water. The water was clearer in the regular beach area. I did notice people reserving spots on the beach and by the pool, but that’s everywhere.

We ate at the seafood, American, Dominican, and Gabi restaurants. I think the seafood restaurant was the best and the grill near the beach was awful. The best meals and service by far were at dinner. Lunch at Gabi was great, but the poolside snacks need some improvement. Breakfast at the Marketplace was great too, but service was sometimes lacking. Everyone was friendly, but sometimes the staff would totally ignore you without saying a word. Other times, you couldn’t even get your request out before they were trying to help. Also, the vacation salespeople were really a pain. A firm NO is the only way to deal with them. We enjoyed the nighttime entertainment; but it’s not exactly a night on the town if that’s what you’re looking for. Drinks/bars were great; although I did notice during the day they seemed to use the same slushy mix in several drinks as another poster complained. We didn’t mind the train; but with RS we rode mainly in the golf carts. We did the Stingray bay/Carnival festival excursion and highly recommend it. Having been back a month, I don’t think this place was as bad as others made it out to be. In fact, I think it has awesome potential. I would recommend only going Royal Service to make sure you get the better experience. I don’t think I’d return until the service and food improved from good to great to match its beauty. BTW- My husband got sick our last full day and had to see a doctor when we returned. He’s gotten sick from most of our trips to the Caribbean but this was the worst. Be sure to take the necessary precautions.

My wife and I just returned from our stay at the Melia from June 20-27, 2008. We were located in Royal Service bldg #51. Overall, we found this property to be very well maintained and as many have said before .... very large. Understanding English is sometimes a problem but you can easily get by and everyone is very friendly and willing to help.

Our comments/advise are as follows:

Airport in Punta Cana - "open air" and somewhat humid depending on the outside weather. $10/person required to be paid before entering the terminal and baggage claim. Taxi and shuttle providers each have a counter after you exit baggage claim to the right. Ride is about 20 minutes.

Hotel - checked-in at 1:30pm and was told that we were upgraded but that the room would not be ready until 3:00pm. Luggage did not arrive until after 4:00pm. Had to make 3 calls to VIP Lounge before receiving it. "Butler" showed up once and offered an extension number to call if we needed anything. Called to have luggage picked up when we were checking out, but no one showed up.

Beach - less than 10 minute walk from room with shuttle service available whenever requested. Beach is groomed each morning to remove seaweed but there is always some in the areas closest to the shore no matter where you go. Beautifully white and never hot. No issues for availability of covered huts or chairs. Vendors kept at the shoreline to limit the amount of "selling".

Food/Wine - our favorites were the French, Hibachi, and Gabi. Beef was very good in all restaurants. Most meals were "unseasoned" and average for an all-inclusive. Service is slow and not very well trained in all venues. Had to ask for knives, forks, and napkins. If you are a wine drinker beware: both red and white offered are horrible....but you can "purchase" others for 2-3x retail price. We bought a bottle at the Palma Real mall across the street, however, we were charged a $10 corkage fee by the resort. Bottled water is available everywhere.

Recreation - for-fee motorized watersports offered by hotel. (Non-motorized are free). We went parasailing (2 for 20 mins for $99). Nice people and great service but took almost 2 hrs from the time that we were loaded onto a small boat to be transferred to the main one. Later in the week, we took a full day Santo Domingo tour (6:30am-8:30pm) that was an eye-opener. Much poverty outside the resort areas.

One last comment. As these people do not make much money, please be kind and tip whenever possible. (One waiter told us that his wife and 2 children live 3 hours away and that he works 14 days at a time with 3 days off between 14 day shifts. )

If you are looking for excellent service, great food, and management that is responsive to your needs, this is not the place for you.

I heard some good things about Punta Cana and my TA highly recommended this resort. The nightmare started at check-in, while we were kept waiting over an hour just to register. It went downhill from there.

The service was extremely spotty; while some of the workers were wonderful, the hotel management was extremely rude and arrogant. Do not expect to get reservations in any restaurants unless you tip one of the workers to make one for you. The kicker when when my husband broke his foot on the property, and management did absolutely nothing to help us or make our stay easier. In fact, they made him walk close to a mile, with a broken toe, to Medical Services. The management never provided the ride they promised, and any worker in a golf cart he tried to flag down wouldn't give him a ride because he had a wrong color bracelet on. Meanwhile, this man is in excruciating pain. What kind of people are these?????

The food was good at some meals, inedible at others. My daughter's room was infested with 100s of tiny ants. They were in the bed, in the bathroom, in her clothes, everywhere and the management gave us nothing but arguments when we wanted to move.

Unless you are staying in the royal service expect nothing better than 2-star treatment; and even the royal service, while better, was inconsistent. Some rooms had bathrobes, others none. We did not get the daily newspaper, suite treats or turndown service promised. If you complain to management you get lip service--if you're lucky. Usually, you get an argument. To say the service was deplorable is an understatement.

I am extremely sorry I listened to my TA's recommendation to book this resort and I am telling everyone I can to never, never travel to this resort. Please save your money!

In case you are thinking I am being fussy, I spoke to 3 other American couples (One from Texas, one from Philadelphia, and another from NJ) who had the same complaints we had. While the surroundings were pretty and the spa was fabulous, none of none of us would ever, ever stay there again.

My husband and I stayed at the Melia Caribe Tropical from June 11 – 16, and we will definitely be returning one day. Everything about the trip was absolutely perfect. To the reviewers who have had such negative things to say, all I can say is we must not have been staying at the same resort. Our room was large and beautiful, service was attentive, food was above par, and the grounds were gorgeous.

We had a Royal Service Master Suite which was to die for. It had a kitchen, dining area, living room, balcony, 2 – 32” tv’s, large bedroom with king size bed, a Jacuzzi for two, and a large bathroom with awesome shower. The refrigerator was constantly stocked with sodas, water, and beer. Anything extra we wanted, like more rum or Diet Pepsi, all we had to do was ask. We took advantage of the complimentary room service most nights. The menu is a little limited but still delectable. Mostly sandwiches, pizzas, hamburgers and such. And honestly, after eating so much during the day we weren’t looking for room service to fill an empty stomach but rather satisfy a late night craving.

The Royal Service area is phenomenal. The Gabi Restaurant was our favorite place to dine. The atmosphere and attention to detail cannot compare. The Gabi pool is large, with plenty of lounge chairs, palapas, and a snack bar. The Royal Service Beach was perfect. Plenty of lounge chairs, which seemed of nicer quality than the regular side and not crammed up against each other, lots of umbrellas, and a few palapas. The Royal Service beach bar was great with waiters who would bring your drinks to you. Neither the pool, restaurant nor beach on the Royal Service side were ever crowded.

Aside from the Gabi, our favorite restaurant was El Guarapo, the Dominican Republic restaurant. We also ate at the Japanese and Capri (seafood) for dinner and the American for lunch and they were all enjoyable. We found that we preferred to keep to the Royal Service area because it was less crowded and the staff was even more attentive.

It was a 30 second walk to the Gabi Restaurant from our villa, a 3 minute walk to the main lobby and a 5 minute walk to the beach. Many have complained about the resort being too large but I completely disagree. I prefer the spread-out design because you never felt crowded or like there were a ton of people there. And since we spent our entire vacation within the resort, it’s nice to feel like you have plenty of space to explore. Shuttles were always available if you didn’t want to walk. And the grounds did not smell like gasoline from the shuttle carts. The only bug we saw the entire time was one sand flea on the beach. I am prone to insect bites, especially mosquitoes and I came back without a single bite and never even opened the can of insect repellant.

For those who complain about the language barrier, remember that you have chosen to visit a foreign country whose primary language is Spanish. It’s not reasonable to expect all of the employees to speak perfect English. Most of them do quite well and at least try. They also seemed to appreciate our attempt to speak Spanish as much as possible.

I highly recommend the Melia Caribe and upgrading to Royal Service. For the additional cost you get nicer rooms, private areas that are not crowded, and a high level of attentiveness that you cannot put a price tag on.