I have just got back from the Casa Marina Reef in Sosua, and we all had a great time there was 7 of us that from the age of 16 - 50 and we all loved it very much the hotel is a star rating of 3, however i would say it shuould be more.

*When arraving* at the hotel we were give all our information and also cards each which you give in at kikos kiosk and you are given a clean beach towel everyday. so no need for beach towels. The room was pretty basic with two double beds in the same room, we found this unusual if there was a family in one room but other than that the rooms were cleaned every and clean towels everyday too.... The beds where very clean and floors where bleached.....

*Food and Resturants* In the comlex altoghether there was 5 resturants, 2 buffay style which had themed nights every night, however if you donot like the theme there is something you will like because there is meats, fresh salad, patatoes etc...... me personally i would say the further resturant on the casa marina beach is much nicer and this is still within the hotel....
The other 3 resturants are mexican,seafood and italian which you have to book at reception if i was you i would book as soon as you arrive because they get busy and if you have a special ocassion let them know and they will arange someting special.

*Bars* There is many bars around the complex but they do close at 11pm, however there is a cash bar and this is the real stuff and is not that expensive, but a little tip at about half 10 we all got a round in each or filled a few bottles of beer up which they will do for you so you can take it into the club.... And Yes they will let you take it in.....

*Entertainment* There is loadsa entertainment for kids and adults within the hotel, Watersports everyday, aqua arobics, you can hire the snorkoling gear for free, free scuba diving lessons in the pool and also free kiyaks in the sea. At night time there is a huge therta in the complex which has excellent shows and you can check whats on threwout the week. "DONT MISS THE HOLYWOOD SHOW" That is amazing... Then at 11pm you can move down to the Maralin bar (CASH BAR) and there is games played in the audience and downstairs there is the club this is very good and is open till 3 in the morning..

*Trips* We went on 2 trips while been in sosua, the jeep safari which i highly recomennd and is a great day out it is around £35 each but this includes pick up at 8am you get to visit the local towns and sigar factorys, go to jurasic park, horse riding snake around your neck. Visit the local school and my advise is take sweets or ting for the children as they are poor chidren and then the day ends where you are taken on a beach which is beautiful for 1hour relax.. Drinks and dinner is also included within the price.

We also visited ocean world which cost around £75 each but this was to swim with dolphins but prices vary depending on what you want to do... This is a great day out but food and drink is not included. The food is not over expensive there and there is so much to do.....

Overall we had a great holiday and will defenatly be returning in the near future to the same resort..... if you want any more info just contact me on dee-shortie@hotmail.co.uk

By the way watch out for the LIzards...... These are not harmful

General
We stayed here for a week last time 2006 at new year.
this time we stayed for two.
It is a good 3 star hotel.
We had a problem with the view from our room and the staff changed us the next day because the hotel was full at point of complaint. The staff gave me a list of rooms that would be avaliable and asked me to take my pick.
Generaly the staff are very friendly and helpfull.

Rooms
The rooms are quite basic but what do you need from a room on a beach holiday? TV, Satalite, clean sheets every day fresh towels, floor moped and a balcony Is all I need and it was provided. One thing you dont get is a fridge but the resort is all inclusive.

Security.
We had no problems at all in the resort, Sosua or Caberety
however, A couple staying on the ground floor at the end of block 2 got there room turned over. They may or may not have not taken basic precausions. When I heard this I took out the option of the safe box. We had no problems.

Location

Sosua is a realy nice wee bit of the island. You will see the air craft comming in as the airport is only 15 min away. The town itself is not what you would call alpine charm, however, Its ok, places to go at night and a few walks during the day. Sosua beach is entertaining at the weekend!!
Only walk to caberety if you are fit and have time to kill 2:30 to 3 hours walk.

Tips
Caberety is $15 by cab however you can get there for as little as $3-$6 by cab if you tell them you are going public (public transport)
Comming back from Caberety
If you are getting a cab get it in the main street where the bars are. If you start to walk home hopping to get one on rout you will find that there are actualy few on the road after dark.

Top Tip
An exelent deserted beach is just round the bay. To get to it go through the US Steak House (the one you see from the beach).
use the old public foot path, pass through the grounds of Mirimar Hotel (defunct) there is a sign telling you to keep out private property. HOWEVER All the beach houses on millionares row have now been sold and are due for demolition, locals have taken to using some that were not locked.
walk through the gardens (on the beach side) you will come to a perfect sandy beach. the beach is also split in the middle by a rock that is easily passable.
To get back go back along the beach or just have a look at the yellow house (the last one) use the old drive back to road and come back via this.

Resort General
If you are looking for a typical european resort then cabereti might be more your style, however Sosua offers some nice walks and has life out with the comlex that is safe enough to walk about at night. There is a little prostitution this is centred at "The Happy Bar" after dark.
WIFI is free at Pedro McMurphies if you dont mind having to look a a celtic scarf.

We just got back from a 5 day trip to Sosua. We stayed at the Casa Marina Reef and absolutely loved it. Prior to our trip we read many reviews about the resort. Most were great but some were bad. After our experience we have to say.......
1. If your someone who is "high class" and expects things to be like the Ritz Carleton, then STAY HOME! However if you have a good outlook on things and are not stuck up then this is the place for you! It truly is a 3 star resort. However.....
2. The staff was great! Roberto is a nice guy that runs the beach activities. He remembers your name and is friendly.
3. The bartenders hardly get tipped and still have a smile. I recommend a tip every now and then. They work hard and don't we all usually tip our bartenders a few bucks anyway?!
4. Food......The food was your basic all inclusive. Not too bad but not a 5 star. Make sure you make your reservations for dinner your first day. The fish place is yummy.
5. Drinks....Bar opens at 10am and stays open till 11pm. Some people complained of it closing early, but when you drink all day who needs to drink much after 11pm anyway! Make sure you drink water. We got dehydrated the first day of drinking and laying by the beach!
6. Beach.....Clean, clear water, nice waves and friendly people! We recommend the beach by the bar.
7. Pool....Pool was nice but we stuck to the beach. You can find a pool almost anyplace but not a beach in the DR!
8. Rooms.....Rooms were pretty clean. Not too fancy but well maintained. They get cleaned everyday, but mostly late in the afternoon.
9. Power....The power goes off at times in the day. It lasts 15-30 seconds. It happens all over the island so do not worry! It actually happens mostly at night around 8pm.
10. Sosua........It is a very poor city and if you walk around make sure you say NO to the local shop keepers and kids wanting to shine your shoes. We went to a local bar Eddies, and had fun drinking some beer and hanging out with some people we met. The locals are nice but pushy about selling you stuff!

So to sum it up, we loved it and would go back in a second and stay longer! 5 days was not enough!

It's a "no brainer" kind of destination. Its not the fanciest of hotels and nor is it the 25 to 40 young couples fun destination. There are many families and europeans on site. The staff are cordial and respectful. The hotel complex itself is very big and it's impossible for someone to not find a place to relax. 3 pools, 3 large Spas located in the reefs, and two separate beaches give you a variety of areas to catch some sun.

We were 4 people in our party from Montreal Canada, my wife and I and my parents.

FOOD: We ate like "kings" all week long. The food and the variety of meals was impressive. We did try all three theme restaurants but were not worth the hastle of getting a reservation. The theme restaurant staff could work on their smiles! We found the regular buffet restaurants to offer a nice selection of dishes and the freedom of eating when you want as much as you want.

ROOM & HOTEL: The rooms are... OK. Some renovations especially in the bathrooms will be needed in the near future. I must admit, there were two unfortunate inconvenience at this hotel. The electricity and water shortage problems. The hotel complex is neighbor to a huge downtown power generator which runs about 12 hours a day in two 6 to 8 hour shifts. Let me tell you, it's not very romantic!!! The other problem is the water shortage. One or twice a day, no water for about 2 or 3 hours. There is always drinkable water but not for the bathrooms and showers.

As for the rest, it's 15 minutes away from the airport. Which is great, because a long bus ride after a flight is a downer. Inside the hotel compound... beauty. Nice palm trees, nice gardens, clean public areas, and nice brown sand beaches. Outside the hotel compound... lets just say it's not Monaco. (We came for the sun!!!)

If you're looking for an afortable family destination or older crowd, this is the place. I believe we'll be back some day with the kids.