i have just returned from dreams. i have stayed at secrets punta cana, palladium, three different Sandals, iberostar jamaica and a few other all inclusives. i loved this resort. my aunt and i went for a mini vacation. i was a little nervous after reading some of the reviews.

the ride from the airport is long and bumpy. the same as it is in jamaica and other 3rd world countries.

the resort was beautiful and every single worker at the resort was extremely nice to us. the activities people were great. we had so much fun. the lobby bar served the best drinks. fifty cent and usher were hysterical.

i loved the food at all the restaurants except for hibachi.

the only faults that i could find with this hotel is that the rooms are too warm and the pool is extremely warm. i couldn't sit in it for too long but i love the beach so we just went back and forth. the beach grill was the best hamburger i've ever eaten.

i did see some kids but not many and believe me, i went to get away from my kids and they didn't bother me there.

anyway, would definately return with my children.

Read many reviews before going to this resort and was a little hesitant about the trip. I don't know what the bad reviews were about, we found the resort to be just wonderful! The service was great, staff was very friendly, the food was better than most we have had at any all-inclusives (the french was the very best!), the rooms were very clean.........no mold, plenty of hot water, plenty of clean towels (twice a day), great spa services, the beach was beautiful!, even the public restrooms at this resort were always spotless! (better than any public restroom here at home). No problems with flight or transportation either to or from. Would I return? Most definetly!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First let me start by saying Im not trying to be a negative person. Everything im writing is 100% true and actually happened to me all on this vacation. Im only posting this comment so other people wont overlook these bad reviews and make the same mistake i did.

I went to Dreams Punta Cana on Mon June 30th, 2008 with my boyfriend. We were supposed to stay until Mon July 7th but there were too many things going wrong to over look and just have fun. Im so angry with Liberty Travel (Brooklyn, N.Y. Kings Highway travel Agents Inna, & Manager, Rose) because they spoke very highly of dreams punta cana and did very little to make up for the problems we had. I will never book a trip with them again.

My flight was delayed going to punta cana, but that happens when you travel. Then we arrive in the Domincan Rep. airport. Very unorgainized and hot. No air conditioners anywhere in this place. They only use fans. Then we head to our tour bus picked out by Liberty Travel and wait for all the passengers to find their smashed luggage and board the bus.. They told us it was an hour long trip to the resorts. But for the small amount of miles you are traveling if they acutally built roads for you to drive on, it would only take 15 -20 mins. My trip to the resort took 3 hours b/c our bus broke down. It was very scary driving through broken, dirt roads with poor people sitting on the sides of them. Some local people walk along the roads with huge knives in their hand. You dont feel safe at all. Anything could have happened. The next bus came to pick us up and finish the trip. The 2nd driver drove very reckless hitting trees and fences and almost other vehicles. We got a flat tire on the 2nd bus and we rolled slowly the remainder of the way.

When we arrived at Dreams we found out that the dreams package we were supposed to have wasnt set up. That was the travel agents fault. But they said we would get our extra stuff included in the package. Then they brought us to our Honeymoon suite in Building 8. There was nothing special in it like our concierge said he would take care of. Like everyone else complained the room was so hot. The air conditioners are controlled so they cant be too cold or strong enough. I also noticed little ants on the sink and vanity. I called to complain. Right away someone came to fix the air condiitioner. I watched a man take apart the ceiling and drop it on the floor. I guess he restarted it or did something to make it cooler and a little stronger. Then he put the ceiling back together. Right there i knew how this trip was going to be. This is not a five star resort. More like a 2 star. The air was better but not like you have it at home or any other 5 star resort. They did give me the champagne and fruit basket , robes,etc later on but at that point i wasnt feeling happy to celebrate. I made my mom call the travel agent for me and explain what happend b/c the phones in the room were expensive. Inna the travel agent did nothing said I was a liar, what package?, its not her fault and i guess never told the manager of Liberty to call me. I tried to make the best of it waiting for the manager to call me.

The pool was full of kids jumping n screaming everywhere. If you want a chair by the pool, wake up at 7am and put your towel out to save them. Dont even think about a floating mat for the pool, there is only 20 for the whole resort. You have to fight people for them when they are not using them. They just hide them under their chair. The beach was full of seaweed and rocks. Not like the picture they show. That was what i booked my trip for a beautiful beach.

The food was terrible. Im from NY we have some of the best resturants in the world and this not what we expected for a 5 star hotel. Long wait times to eat. Very under staffed. Food made me sick. We ate at the french resturant and we ordered cheese cake and chocolate mousse. The cheese cake looked like an english muffin and the mousse taste like cardboard. The buffet for breakfast in the world cafe was ok but made me sick too. And No I NEVER DRANK THE WATER. Room service was just scary. Id rather have McDonalds. That night we had dinner on the beach in pitch darkness and that was the only somewhat edible food we had. By the third night the ant problem was bad. The ants had gone everywhere. They were crawling out of my clothes that were in the closet, on the night stand and phone when i picked it up to complain. We were disgusted. It was too late to switch resorts so we changed rooms, at 12:00 am. Now we were in honeymoon suite, building 7 which was the same. Very hot and had the same ants or whatever bugs they were. This room didnt even have a remote. We just went to bed with the smell of bug spray and waited for morning.

The next morning I got the manager of Liberty Travel on the phone. I told her we either wanted to come home or switch resorts. I mentioned the Excellence which was 10 mins away. I checked us out. We got in a cab and went to Excellence Resort. My travel agent didnt want to pay to ugrade me there even after everthing i went through b/c of where they sent me. The concierge saw i was very upset and gave me an excellence club suite without the perks of having the card but atleast it was something. The beach was beautiful here. The staff were very nice, spoke English and always tried to make you have fun.The food and drinks were much better here. The spa wasnt great though, very hot no air conditioner. The place over all more for couples, no kids. There was still a few ants I saw in the sink only but i think this problem was just everywhere in the Dominican Rep. They were in the spa, lobby, airport everywhere. My bf got very sick the last 2 days of the trip. His stomach was really bad. I gave him immodium but he couldnt leave the room. He was even sick for a few days when we got back home and had to call out sick from work. I have stayed at Excellence in Rivera Maya, Mexico and it was great. Not one problem. So I think it was just Dom. Rep. Punta Cana. I will never ever go back there. I will also never stay at a Dreams Resort anywhere in the world.

My trip cost me 3,500, Plus a huge phone bill for turning on long distance for my cell phone so i could call home and the travel agents, phone cards did not work there. $15.00 on another cab ride to switch hotels, $20.00 just to enter Punta Cana that no one tells you about, And a new luggage b/c i feel like the one i took is infested with ants and i dont want it in my house. I also had to dry clean and wash every item clothing i brought b/c of the fear of bugs. Dry cleaning cost me over $100 on things i had cleaned to wear there, that i didnt even put on. That is too much money too spend to go to a third world counrty. Its too much of a hassle for a vacation thats supposed to be a 5 star resort. More like an African Safari, not a luxury vacation. I have never had anything like this happen to me.

My advice, dont go to Punta Cana, or if you do pay with your Amex card so you can try and get your money back.

Let me start off by saying that I have traveled abroad many times and this was my third visit to Punta Cana. That being said I broke down the review to give insight on various parts of the resort. I just returned from Dreams Punta Cana on Sunday July 13th. I spent one week there. I overall had a great time and the place is very pretty. The one negative is they over book the hotel which I will get into later.

Check In: Let's say it didn't go well. I had booked a VIP 2 bedroom suite and they sold it out before I got there. The staff was confused and at a loss what to do. They showed me various other rooms not getting the concept that is not what I paid for. I had myself, my wife and three sons (9,6& 1 turning 2) and they tried putting me in a honeymoon suite with fold out beds and crib. Eventually we accepted a pool view w/ two connected rooms which where very nice and they gave me five free nights for a future stay for my inconvenience. Not bad.

Concierge: They are useless unless you need something done in your room or need a bell hop. Remember they work for the hotel and if there is a problem with a booking like in my situation you will get no where fast except seeing various rooms. My suggestion is book through a travel agent/travel service such as Apple Vacations or Travel Impressions. We used Travel Impressions (VIP Travel) and they were great. From transportation to setting up tours. Sharon who is a sweet English woman helped me settle my room dispute has major pull at the hotel. One speaking with her and my problems were over.

Grounds : The hotel itself and grounds are beautiful and are well manicured. There are flowers, palm trees and ponds every where. You will definitely get a lot of nice picture shots here.

Beach: The beach is nice but the bad part is that it is on the ocean side which has waves and current. If you are looking for calm/crystal clear water like Grand Cayman you will be disappointed. However if you walk to the left past the water sports by a few feet it is much nicer. The waitress service on the beach is very nice and they are serving all day. There are also a lot of lounge chairs unlike many other resorts and you can always find a chair.

Pool: The pool is the crown jewel of the hotel. It is massive and the landscaping throughout the pool is very pretty. The pool bar area which is right by the beach and Sea Side Grill is gets packed fairly quickly due to the location and the fact the entertainment staff hold a lot of activities here. The middle area is much more accommodating for people who just want to relax quietly or read a book. The top area of the pool is more kids friendly with the iceberg climb (my kids loved it). There are floats available but not many so bring your own or you can buy in the gift shop for like $10US. The chairs by the pool go super fast so you will have to reserve them early. I hate doing this but it is just how it works by the pool. If you wait to after breakfast you will not get one..I guarantee it especially the huts (covered with bed style).

Food: the food is good for the Dominican Republic and much better than the other resorts I stayed at on the island. It is not United States cuisine. You are not going to get New York level food. But overall very good. I like the Sea Side Grill the best.

Staff: very friendly and mostly helpful. The entertainment staff is great especially Mickey Mouse (little crazy) and Fifty Cent. The best is when we told them in passing my little one was turning two while we there. They actually told us to go the night show and sit in the first row where they brought my son on stage sang to him and gave him a cake. That won me over.

Overall I recommend this hotel but just make sure you are covered with a travel service. That is my only complaint. If you have kids you will love it.