This resort is just awesome. It was our first trip down south and we went based on recommendation from another couple we know. We were not disappointed.

The grounds are fantastic, the beach is amazing. The food was OUTSTANDING. We own resutarants back in Nova Scotia and we know how picky some people can be, and I have to tell you that I have aboslutely NO IDEA how anyone could ever complain about the food at this resort. There is something for everyone all the time. It is simply fantastic.

The trip from the airport to the resort was only about 40 minutes and the road was not as bumpy as I expected based on the reviews I read. There is lots to see in the countryside on the way to the resort and you do not feel the 40 minute trip. It goes by fast.

The Entertainment team was AWESOME. Very nice guys. They do a GREAT job and only get paid $250 PER MONTH. Please tip them, They deserve it!

Bring lots of American $1 bills with you for tipping. Give your waiter a $1 tip and he will treat you like gold. $1 is not a lot to us but it is a lot to them.

If we go back to the Dominican, we will definitely be going to the resort again. There is no reason not to, it was that fantastic!

Try this resort. You will not be disappointed.

This was a beautiful resort. It was always clean and the staff were very friendly and helpful!! You have to make it to the nightly entertainment. Every night there was something going on and was very good. They like to get the guests involved and they keep everyone laughing. The animation team work very hard and are very talented!! They worked morning till night. It seems all staff worked from morning till night and always had a smile on their faces no matter what time of the day it was!! The only complaint I have is the food was OK. The Mexician a la cart was good. Try to stay away from the letuce, it seems thats what made me sick. Other than that, everything was excellent!!! You won't be dissapointed!!!

We spent 2 weeks here in the depths of (our) winter and it was almost perfect. The hotel was better than expected (after reading some reviews!) and the staff couldn't have been more helpful and were always ready with an "Ola" and a smile ... from those working on reception, to the cleaners and gardeners.
The room was more than adequate, with 2 double beds and a bath/shower room. The TV had a good selection of channels incuding one showing films. It was cleaned daily, and the mini bar restocked with water and soft drinks.

The grounds were beautifully planted and well paved. We were in an accomodation block near the main buildings, furthest away from the beach yet it was only a few minutes stroll there. The pools were more than big enough never to feel crowded, but the beach was so perfect we only really used the pool to access the pool bar! There is the usual annoyance of the beach towels on the sunbeds in all the prime (shady) spots from early morning but that happens everywhere.

There's great snorkelling off the beach with loads of reef and fish to see without being too far out from the shore.
There are a selection of wee shops along the beach and they try to lure anyone who dares take a walk passed into their shops ... we bought a painting, but found that though we bartered down to 40% of the origianl price, we could have bought the same thing in Bavaro for half that price ... so beware.
There's actually a wee shopping centre along the road which can be accessed from the beach, and it's probably a better deal than the beach shacks.

We ate at the Mexican restaurant and the steakhouse, and while both were ok, we found the menus were quite limited, so ate at the buffet after that. There was a good selection of food, and as quite a picky eater I had no problem finding something every time. The cakes were gorgeous!!!
Breakfast was a feast, with made to order omelettes/eggs, smoothies and fruit galore as well as a large selection of other stuff. One of the buffet restaurants is designated as Dominican, but served more or less the same as the other one, but tended to be less busy.

Overall we had a good holiday, a couple of mini-monsoons came but they soon passed and beach-life resumed. Plenty to do around the hotel if you're so inclined, but it's the perfect place to chill-out and enjoy the sun while everyone back home is shivering!!
We went on trips to the Marinarium (excellent) and shopping in Bavaro with the rep (not worth it).

So, my girlfriend and I ventured off to Punta Cana for our first vacation together. And I must say, Sirenis Cocotal turned out to be the perfect choice for our resort. Here's why:

Upon arival into Punta Cana airport we retrieved our luggage, breezed through customs, and boarded a charter bus all with in 30 mins. The bus honestly was quite comfortable and was equiped with A/C. The ride is true, it is approx 60 mins to the resort on a slightly bumpy road, but there is a guide on the bus with you and he explained to us about the dominican culture, and all the pertinent information we would need to enjoy our trip.

When we arrived to the Sirenis Cocotal we were immediately impressed. While we waited in line, a smiling waitress brought all of us a cocktail to sip on. It was quite tasty after that bus ride:)

Now, this resort is massive!! There are approx 1200 rooms and they are all divided and spread thoughout the land. They are seperated into buildings and are identified by letter. I think it ranged from "A" to "O" or "P" maybe even more. and thats on both sides of the resort. (yes there are two sides to the resort. Tropical side, which are the suites, and Cocotal side, which are the basic rooms. We were in building "D" on the Cocotal side, which was awesome cause it was pretty much smack dab in the middle of everything.

The rooms were very clean and they included a T.V., stocked fridge(no booze), a wall safe, blow dryer, 2 double or 1 king size bed, a balcony, room service, and of course A/C. Unfortunately the wall safe did require a $50 deposit and an $18 non refundable fee. But the fridge was restocked with water and pop everyday absolutely free:)

Now, like I said, the grounds are massive, and it includes all the amenities you would expect from a great resort and then some! There is a casino, pool, spa/gym, tennis courts, 6 or 7 souvenir shops, a theater, a great disco, and we counted 13 bars, and 5 restaurants. Plus, a helicopter pad!

The pool area is amazing, and it is quite large. There is two kiddie size pools, and one giant pool that winds around and between 2 restaurants, and 2 swim up bars. Loungers, tables, and huts are a plenty, so dont worry about not getting a good spot.

If you get sick of the pool, walk 10 seconds and you are on the beautiful prestine beach. Which includes souvenir huts, kayaks, wind surfing, massage huts, and banana boats.

As far as the food goes, it's the dominican so dont expect fine dining. The regular buffet was very good and it included something different every night. The 5 restaurants included are made up of a steak house, italian, japanese, mexican, and mediterranean. The italian was great, and we heard good things about the japanese, but we would not recommend the steak at the steak house, and we really disliked the mediterranean as well.

Food is available 24/7 on this resort at either the lobby or pool side restaurant. While relaxing at the pool, and hunger suddenly strikes you, head in and grab some wicked nachos or an ice cream cone!

I wont go into detail about the excursions available. Because I think its dependent on your tour representitive. Ours was Sunquest and they offered several different excursions. We only opted to go on two: Snorkling with the sharks and stingrays, and a catamaran tour. They were both amazing!!
They provide nighly entertainment at the theater, and usually there was something going on at the pool during the day. The shows were terrific, never boring, and always had a little something for everyones taste such as games, dancing, and comedy.

Now, just to be fair. I should mention some of the things we disliked. Again, the resort is massive. So you could look at it as a bad thing, or a good thing. Because it's so big, be prepared to do a lot of walking. We also didnt like the amount of families there. The sound of kids running around unattended can be a little distracting. But, it is tolerable. We found the Europeans to be a little rude. (no offense to anyone).
We do recommend caution to those thinking about traveling here with kids due to abundance of top-less women on the beach, and the the fact that people can pretty much smoke anywhere they want.

We can offer you some tips to help maximize your enjoyment, and this is all based on our own personal experience, NOT heresay.

TIP EVERYONE!!
-Leave $2 on your bed for the maid, and your room will be spotless everyday, and you'll come back to your room to a very nice surprise.
-Slip the bartenders a buck or two, and you'll never wait to get served.
-If you can, try and schedule your trip from january to april. As there are virtually no mosquitos!
-Dont make any unecessary phone calls home. It is very expensive!
-If you're canadian, convert your money to US $. The exchange rate down there sucks for canadians.

Everyones preferences are different, but if you are common people like us, you'll have a blast! We will be returning annually to this very resort for our anniversary. Thats how much we loved it!