We stayed at the Punta Goleta for the first 2 weeks of April and thought it was great. considering the price paid. We found the room clean and the AC worked just fine, the cleaning staff left us fresh flowers every day (might have helped that we TIPPED them) The Bars were plentiful and the drinks were great! The on beach bar was an added bonus that we didn’t expect. Caberete is only a 20 minute walk down the beach so we had lunch there quite often and dinner a couple times as well, very romantic setting at night- you can eat right on the beach and watch the sun go down. The staff at the hotel we found to be quite helpful and very excited that my husband spoke Spanish. My husband and I work in the service industry so we understand the importance of tipping; we noticed at the bars that we would get ice in our drinks without asking whereas other (non tipping) guests had to ask for it… The hotel grounds are beautiful so green and well landscaped!
The food at the hotel I thought was great; at breakfast you can have a fresh made smoothie and eggs done how ever you like. The dinners featured were good, if you were getting sick of some of the items you could have pasta made to order. I thought the coffee at the resort was some of the best I have ever had. The hotel may not be beach front but it’s a 5 minute walk across a bridge and the views on the beach are amazing!
Overall we went to this resort with low expectations and came out more than happy with our vacation I am sad that the vacation is over.

the worst hotel ever, really dissapointed me, i stayed with my girlfriend on easter, the building 6, this building don't have hot water!!!!!...., in the first time, they gave me one room, without air, TV....terrible, change me the next room in the same building 6, without hot water, the manager and the personal really bad, they don't solve the problem, only jocking about it, really pissed me off, the only thing that i can said is the food and the place is nice...the beach is far, you have to cross a brigde, don't have water in the room to drink, don't have a snack bar, if you get hungry in other time that not is the time meal (breakfast, dinner..) you had to go get out the hotel to find some food, the pool is little, always was full of persons swimming very unconfortable.....the cleaning was bad in the room, many times i had to talk with reception about it....
well, i never come back to this hotel!!!...when i said never is never!!!!

Had a great vacation!
My friend and I are two overworked Mom's (isn't everyone) who needed some R & R and we got it!
We booked our trip last minute like everyone else and got a great deal! We were cautious due to the price but everything went off without a hitch.
We had a shuttle to the Resort - about 20 minutes-and from the time we landed until the time we were laying by the pool with a drink in our hands was about 45 min. That was awesome!
Our room was basic but all we needed was 2 beds so the TV was bonus! The room was clean so we has no issues!
The beach although yes a walk across a bridge was fine! It has a beach bar so you can get drinks and Juan (our bartender) was so cute and very accomodating! Don't worry he would say, your on vacation!
We were at the beach everyday, all day, and it is fine. Small but the water was warm, the sun was hot and the drinks were cold. What more could you ask for? There are vendors and they can be a bit of a pain but we just said no thanks and stopped talking and they went away. Or if you are sleeping etc they don't bother you!
The food was fine! I have been to Cuba before and got extremely sick (hospitilized) so I am cautious anyway! Yes the food is basic but there is ALWAYS something to eat. It was well cooked and the chefs are so nice!
As far as the entertainment goes I really couldn't tell you! We didn't particpate and only managed 1 evening show as we were more content to get to bed to get up early and get to the beach!
A special mention to my new friend Francis (lobby front desk). The weather forcast for the week predicted rain every day (we had 1/2 day rain and 2 nights). I asked Francis if he could do something about the rain frocast. He said no problem. Picked up the phone dialed some numbers and said I will call God for you! The sun shone for the rest of our trip! Thanks Francis!
Overall though we had a great trip and yes I would go back although I love to travel to different places so most likely I won't go back there!
If you are looking for a 5 star Hilton you won't find it here but if you are looking for a friendly, basic resort with warm sun, and cold drinks you will find it here!

Just came back from the Punta Goleta Resort. Was there during the week of April 8th-15th 2006 with a group of 8 people (mix of couples and singles). This was my first time at the Punta Goleta Resort but my second time in the Dominican Republic. Both of my visits to the D.R. were spent at resorts near the town of Cabarete. I highly recommend being within a short distance to Cabarete because of the many shops, restaurants/bars, and fun nightlife.

Basically, this resort deserves the solid 3 star rating it has received. It is definately clean, well-maintained and has beautiful grounds/gardens. In the evenings, it is patrolled by armed security guards.
However, it is an older resort so be prepared for the older furnishings in the hotel rooms.

While the beds are comfy, they are old and bouncy/springy. Our group stayed in Block 1 which is near the reception area and the furthest away from the pool/entertainment area. Each of our rooms were equiped with 2 double beds. We were told that no queen or king size beds were available, only double beds are offered.

The bathrooms are clean and basic. Hot water was always available for showers during our stay. However, they are leaky and spray in all directions so be sure to draw the shower curtain all the way around the bath tub or your floors will get wet...very wet!

Main drawback to the rooms at this resort is that they are not equiped with mini-refrigerators or ironing boards/irons. Thus, you do not receive complimentary bottled water in your rooms. To get fresh drinking water means that you have to walk several minutes to the main dining area or to the bar closest to the pool. This can be such a pain, especially if you get thirsty during the night when you are tired and in your pyjamas.

Each room has a beautiful walk out balcony with sliding glass doors or french doors (depending on which Block you stay in. There are 9 Blocks in total).

I found the food at this resort to be very good. Better in fact than at the 5 star resort that I stayed at during my first visit to the D.R. The food selection is not huge but there is a good mix of meats, pasta dishes, rice/potatoes, vegetables, breads, fruits, sweets, ice-cream and smoothies.
Only problem is that food is available only 3 times a day during breakfast, lunch and dinner. If you get hungry outside of these meals, then you have to walk about 5 minutes across the resort and over a steep brodge to get to the snack bar located on the beach.
Also, be sure to book the a la carte restaurant. The food here is quite good (Mexican or Italian, depending on the day). Each night, there was a different theme at the buffet/main dining area (BBQ, Italian, Chef's chopce, etc...).

This resort is not located beach-front. You do have to walk over a steep bridge for several minutes to get to it. While the beach is small (narrow), it has lots of lounge chairs and huts available for those that get there early enough. The water is beatiful. Be careful of the waves as they are quite strong. The sand is smooth and not rocky. You will notice some washed-up debris along the beach...and lots of topless women.

This resort is about a 15-20 minute walk to the town of Cabarete. It is a beatiful and relaxing walk if you take the beach instead of the busy street to get there. You will be in awe of all the kite surfers. Cabarete is a great place to go to do souvenir shopping (Liquidation Centre offers the cheapest prices) and dining at the local bars/restaurants. Jose O'Shays is an excellent and affordable Irish pub for great tasting North American food and drinks.

There is 1 relatively small pool and 2 jacuzzi tubs on this resort. Be sure to check out the little pond (tucked away behind the bar closest to the pool) where you will find a flamingo and ducks. Also, keep your eyes opened for the little geckos that are running around. I saw about six of these cute little lizards during my stay.

The animation team was pretty good. They try to get people involved in different activites (ping pong, tennis/basketball, crazy ball, water balloon game, pool volleyball, aqua gym, spanish dancing, etc). The shows at night were pretty good (singing and dancing). I just wish they had more comedy and less singing/dancing.

Overall, it is a great resort if you can get a great cheap rate. Don't spend too much money or you will be disappointed, especially if you have been to 4 star+ resorts previously. However, I do want to say that it is NOT a bad resort at all...just a simple and basic resort that is clean...and fun.

There is a mini-disco at night on the resort but it was really never that busy while we were there. Don't worry, you can always walk or take a cab to Cabarate to experience the nightlife. Girls, be careful, the local Dominican men are quite flirty and persistant!

Will I come back to Punta Goleta? Probably not but only because I have been to the D.R. twice already and I am ready to go some place entirely different in the Caribbean. Would I recommend this resort? Absolutely! Especially if you don't want to break your budget! Don't worry! If you've already booked you will have a good time. This resort is a quiet resort and not rowdy at all. There was mainly couples and older people (40+ years old) during our stay.

Lastly, don't forgt to tip your servers, bartenders, and maids...you will getter better service!