Casa Marina Beach or Reef

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bayman

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Jan 23, 2010
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Any comments on differences between Casa Marina Beach resort and Casa Marina Reef resort please?
I am planning a week at one of them. I am not a fan of AI, but the all inclusive package means I can fly direct to POP, instead of overnighting and changing flights at Toronto.
 
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dingdongdenny

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Jan 6, 2007
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reef side

the reef pool is larger,its the side that the anphitheater is on, and it 50 paces closer to town.other than that they are almost identical,a little time warn but you only sleep in the rooms.the resort itself is very well clean and well kept.
 
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Black Dog

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May 29, 2009
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Exactly! The Beach is the older of the two buildings but it is basically one resort and you can just wander around the whole complex freely and use which ever pool or restaurants you prefer. I stayed there many times and always had a great time!
 
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dougiej

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Jan 29, 2007
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Rooms are standard but quite a large complex. Food is good and access is right there to the city. Some years the beach side is partyin' and next year vice versa. I can't get it right. LOL. I picked Reef this year. Cheers.
 
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blackrainbow

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as a few have said, it doesnt really matter, my personal preference is beach though, as the rooms are alot nicer, in a more open area.

Its all the same hotel, just 2 different types of building.

You can use all facilities, Casa Marina beach is the more quiter and chilled out side,

as it isnt next to the ampitheatre and main street.(REEF is)

Where as the reef maybe closer to town, the beach, is obviously closer to the beach.

All in all , i dont know why they advertise as two hotels, you will understand what i mean when you see it.

Have fun.
 
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Seamonkey

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Oct 6, 2009
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You won't really notice once you are there. It's just one big complex that shares entertainment, drinks and food. It's not like Moon Palace in Mexico or any of those huge places.
 
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Bainy

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Aug 7, 2004
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Casa Marina Beach

We have just returned from Casa Marina Beach 2 weeks ago. Hotel really does need a complete refurb. Our first room had mould on the bathroom walls and the ceiling leaked. We were moved but the second room wasn't much better. We found the food always cold no matter what time you arrived at the restaurants. Staff in the restaurants were not friendly and tables were never prepared ready for guests, most of the time we ended up hunting for cutlery, glasses and water. Sea food restaurant was very good on site. Ended up eating out quite a bit which really defeated the object of "all inclusive". Would not recommend this hotel at all.
 
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blackrainbow

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Bainy said:
We have just returned from Casa Marina Beach 2 weeks ago. Hotel really does need a complete refurb. Our first room had mould on the bathroom walls and the ceiling leaked. We were moved but the second room wasn't much better. We found the food always cold no matter what time you arrived at the restaurants. Staff in the restaurants were not friendly and tables were never prepared ready for guests, most of the time we ended up hunting for cutlery, glasses and water. Sea food restaurant was very good on site. Ended up eating out quite a bit which really defeated the object of "all inclusive". Would not recommend this hotel at all.
Click to expand...


:tired:

What a shame you couldn't afford bravissmos,

My point is you get what you pay for...

If i wrote a review on casa marina, it would be totally opposite to what bainy has said.

But can see why hes moaning like a bitch, (typical tourist, wants everything on a silver platter)

If they ever offer you a ground floor room, do not take it and asked to be moved, as these rooms do get quite damp.

But as a keen visitor/tourist to the RD, and using casa marina beach, the hotel is really good, seeming the price you pay,

All food is HOT apart from the salad bar, and ice cream freezer ;)


Also as it would be nice for a refurb, but doesnt massivley need it, last time just before i left they were painting the pool/jacuzzis and "fixing up" the rooms, to a neat appropriate standard.

The staff in the restaurants are friendly (most of them) will work hard for any client/tourist, When i was there it was my grammas birthday, but she didn't want anybody to know, but because they had her DOB on the system, they laid up a table, made a cake, had a guitar player, and all the staff and chefs come from the kitchen/waiting area banging pots and pans, making bird noises kah' kah' or something, with free bottles of uva!

We were not charged for this, but of course left them a healthy tip, for such a great evening,

Other generosity has included, staff bringing us fresh fruit from their gardens/friends gardens/friends of friends gardens ;)

They brought us fruit everyday. (fresh)

Unless they have been busy, the tables have always been appropriately set up, with glasses and water, if you arrive a bit late, then tough luck, remember these guys work all day for almost nothing.

Anyway with the main point being, if your not happy then talk to the manager/staff about it, and if your still not happy , talk to them again, remember your their guests, your their top priority, if the hotel was as bad as some people make it out to be, it wouldn't still be up and running, as many hotels around that area are constantly closing and changing hands.

And again remember your on holiday, not in a nazi camp as some people make it out to be. Have fun and enjoy yourself,

but it always boils down to one thing, and thats your opinion,

on that note, there would only be one complaint i would like to make about this hotel,


The Hangovers from all inclusive alcohol!

And also next time you go to DR , remember its a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY,

and i think there doing better than Africa!

Much love

Blackrainbow
 
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Seamonkey

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Oct 6, 2009
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blackrainbow said:
:tired:

What a shame you couldn't afford bravissmos,

My point is you get what you pay for...

If i wrote a review on casa marina, it would be totally opposite to what bainy has said.

But can see why hes moaning like a bitch, (typical tourist, wants everything on a silver platter)

If they ever offer you a ground floor room, do not take it and asked to be moved, as these rooms do get quite damp.

But as a keen visitor/tourist to the RD, and using casa marina beach, the hotel is really good, seeming the price you pay,

All food is HOT apart from the salad bar, and ice cream freezer ;)


Also as it would be nice for a refurb, but doesnt massivley need it, last time just before i left they were painting the pool/jacuzzis and "fixing up" the rooms, to a neat appropriate standard.

The staff in the restaurants are friendly (most of them) will work hard for any client/tourist, When i was there it was my grammas birthday, but she didn't want anybody to know, but because they had her DOB on the system, they laid up a table, made a cake, had a guitar player, and all the staff and chefs come from the kitchen/waiting area banging pots and pans, making bird noises kah' kah' or something, with free bottles of uva!

We were not charged for this, but of course left them a healthy tip, for such a great evening,

Other generosity has included, staff bringing us fresh fruit from their gardens/friends gardens/friends of friends gardens ;)

They brought us fruit everyday. (fresh)

Unless they have been busy, the tables have always been appropriately set up, with glasses and water, if you arrive a bit late, then tough luck, remember these guys work all day for almost nothing.

Anyway with the main point being, if your not happy then talk to the manager/staff about it, and if your still not happy , talk to them again, remember your their guests, your their top priority, if the hotel was as bad as some people make it out to be, it wouldn't still be up and running, as many hotels around that area are constantly closing and changing hands.

And again remember your on holiday, not in a nazi camp as some people make it out to be. Have fun and enjoy yourself,

but it always boils down to one thing, and thats your opinion,

on that note, there would only be one complaint i would like to make about this hotel,


The Hangovers from all inclusive alcohol!

And also next time you go to DR , remember its a THIRD WORLD COUNTRY,

and i think there doing better than Africa!

Much love

Blackrainbow
Click to expand...

My words exactly. Too many people complaining when they should be relaxing. I remember a couple complaining to the front desk that the water wasn't hot enough. Go figure! Get a cerveza and chill.
 
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Bainy

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Aug 7, 2004
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In response to blackrainbow's post can I just say that we are actually expats living in the DR but at the present time we are in our home country as we have family problems. We have been living in DR for 5 years so know the island reasonably well. We were restricted on the dates that we could travel and this hotel was the only one with vacancies during the period we wanted. Given the option we would have chosen either Costa Dorada or Corfresi but they were all unavailable. We obviously thoroughly enjoyed the holiday in relation to meeting friends and acquaintances so it wasn't a waste of money. Just very disappointed with the hotel.
 
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blackrainbow

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Dec 26, 2009
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maybe that was the reason why you couldn't relax, may i ask, why didn't you make enough formal complaints until they did something about it,

another thing i must add to my post is, if you can not relax or feel comfortable in your hotel, they will transfer you to a different AI hotel.

Holiday is Holiday, and if you can't enjoy it, well quite frankly thats your fault. Don't bring hotels to the gutter unless you have at least tried to have a good holiday....

Sosua has more worrys than which hotel to pick, don't make this destination worse by adding to it. The OP was only asking for the differences, not the reviews.

Kind Regards

Blackrainbow
 
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Gabriela

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Dec 4, 2003
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Like Sosua, Casa Marina has deteriorated

The writing is on the mouldy walls, folks. When the money has flowed out of tourism into drugs, prostitution, gambling and stem cells, organized crime knows where to invest... Casa Marina's former owner sold in the nick of time and invested in one of the above growth industries.
 
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blackrainbow

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Dec 26, 2009
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Gabriela said:
The writing is on the mouldy walls, folks. When the money has flowed out of tourism into drugs, prostitution, gambling and stem cells, organized crime knows where to invest... Casa Marina's former owner sold in the nick of time and invested in one of the above growth industries.
Click to expand...


Such a valid point.
 
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Black Dog

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May 29, 2009
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When did it sell then? because it has been part of the Amhsa Marina hotel group for seven years that I know of!
 
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dingdongdenny

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Jan 6, 2007
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rooms

everybody goes on about the rooms,funny but 99% of the time I was in the rooms i had my eyes clesed(sleeping).my only complaint was they would only give out one key card per room,there were four of us(yes i did complain)they would give you a temp card that would work for the day,so every day you had to get another card.Time management on there part was not very good
 
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bayman

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Jan 23, 2010
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Thanks for all info so far. Looking at other forums and travel sities, it seems people either love or hate Casa Marina. I suppose each to their own expectations. I am to give myself options. I normally stay at non AI hotels in town, but cost of Casa Marina inclusive package for a week, is about the same as booking an airfare on its own from Eastern Canada. I intend to spend a couple of nights at Casa Marina, and spend the rest of the time off resort elsewhere, may try the recently refurbished Terra Linda.
 
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