Possibly Hard Rock? Seeking resort advice. Mid 20s. July.

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newt0dr

Newbie
Apr 12, 2015
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Dear community of DR1,

I am trying to figure out which resort to stay, and thanks to google, I have stumbled upon this great forum. I have already had a chance to take advantage of "search" function and browse through some threads. Even though, I found some pertinent information, I am still unsure on where to stay.

So here is the deal.

We are a group of 6 people (2 girls, 4 guys) going to Punta Cana in July. All single. Mid 20s. Therefore, we are looking for a place with people in their 20s. Would prefer more live and active atmosphere. Party at night is a must.

From what I have read online so far, Grand Bahia seems like the place to be. The problem is that we would like something nicer. We started looking at the Hard Rock. I understand that as the price increases, the size of the young crowd shrinks. This is my concern with Hard Rock now.

Please let me know what are your recommendations on where to stay.

Thank you!
 
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newt0dr

Newbie
Apr 12, 2015
9
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By the way, how is the weather in July? I read that it is a hurricane and rain season during that time, but does not rain more than 1 hour a day. Is that true?
Thanks again!
 
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LTSteve

Gold
Jul 9, 2010
5,449
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38
newt0dr said:
By the way, how is the weather in July? I read that it is a hurricane and rain season during that time, but does not rain more than 1 hour a day. Is that true?
Thanks again!
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It is hot and sticky in July. Yes it is hurricane season. Flip a coin on the weather.
 
Cdn_Gringo

Cdn_Gringo

Gold
Apr 29, 2014
8,672
1,133
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The weather in July is hot, humid and frequent late afternoon thunderstorms. Hurricanes are a great excuse for a party. You probably won't get the party low-down here as we are all old crotchety people who are afraid of those in their 20's and avoid them like we do babies on airplanes.

Head to tripadvisor.com, ignore all the reviews pre-2014 and start reading. Look for reviews were crotchety old people complain about the noise after 6:30 pm and the number of hooligans running around naked. Stay at one of those places.

Log into google maps and scale right down to the Punta Cana area and see where all these hotels are located in relation to one another. Bring a 52 oz bubba mug and you can wander up and down the beach visiting resort part after resort party all night long.

Plan on pulling at least one "allnighter" at Coco Bongo. If you don't know what that is, google it or wait until you arrive and ask someone wearing a Coco Bongo shirt.

Have a good time, and forgive us old people, for we complain a lot about that which makes us envious.
 
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newt0dr

Newbie
Apr 12, 2015
9
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Cdn_Gringo said:
The weather in July is hot, humid and frequent late afternoon thunderstorms. Hurricanes are a great excuse for a party. You probably won't get the party low-down here as we are all old crotchety people who are afraid of those in their 20's and avoid them like we do babies on airplanes.

Head to tripadvisor.com, ignore all the reviews pre-2014 and start reading. Look for reviews were crotchety old people complain about the noise after 6:30 pm and the number of hooligans running around naked. Stay at one of those places.

Log into google maps and scale right down to the Punta Cana area and see where all these hotels are located in relation to one another. Bring a 52 oz bubba mug and you can wander up and down the beach visiting resort part after resort party all night long.

Plan on pulling at least one "allnighter" at Coco Bongo. If you don't know what that is, google it or wait until you arrive and ask someone wearing a Coco Bongo shirt.

Have a good time, and forgive us old people, for we complain a lot about that which makes us envious.
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You are funny! I have been to Cancun three time, so I am well aware of Coco Bongo. Those places were lots of fun when I was about 19. We are used to exclusive and classier clubbing experience back home now. Nonetheless, we are not expecting to find that kind of experience in Punta Cana, but we are going to try to make the best out of it! I read that ORO at Hard Rock is decent, along with Mangu?

My aother concern about Hard Rock is its size. The hotel is so big so all the guests are really spread out throughout the grounds, and it might seem that there is not much going on. Or am I wrong?
 
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santiagodude

Member
Nov 25, 2012
513
2
18
Singles party scene and lunacy, Vegas or South Beach are better bets (followed by Cabarete).....Unless you like to party with honey mooners and old international fogeys......(most single young folk cannot afford hard rock punta cana)
 
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newt0dr

Newbie
Apr 12, 2015
9
0
0
santiagodude said:
Singles party scene and lunacy, Vegas or South Beach are better bets (followed by Cabarete).....Unless you like to party with honey mooners and old international fogeys......(most single young folk cannot afford hard rock punta cana)
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We are going to Vegas after the Punta Cana trip. We just want to visit Punta Cana. Party is not a #1 priority, but we need to do something at night, right?

And yes, that is exactly what I was thinking. Hard Rock is too expensive for majority of young ones, where as Grand Bahia is much more reasonable.
 
keepcoming

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
4,792
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The Hard Rock property is huge but for your age group I think it would be a good choice. It is also one of the more nicer resorts. I have heard good things about the Riu Palace Bavaro, (also newer resort) we had friends stay there and some in the group were in their 20's and they enjoyed it. You would be surprised how many "young folk" that you will find at the Hard Rock. When we were there many of the guests were in your age group. My only issue with the Hard Rock is the size, just to big for my liking. However there was always something going on so there is a lot to keep you entertained.
 
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DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
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Doesn't really matter, all the listed properties are very nice. Ultimately, for clubbing purposes, all roads lead to Oro and Mangu. Other than that, the beach is the beach. You're going with a nice-sized group, so having fun likely won't be a problem.

One thought: is everyone single, or are a few coupled up? If so, a more cost-effective option might be to rent a villa. July is low season there, and you can get yourself a great spot at the lowest prices of the year. You can hire a cook or just go to the many restaurants in the area, hang out at the beach during the day, and club at night. You'll likely save money, run into pretty much the same people as you would at an AI, and enjoy a far more exclusive and personalized experience.

For those who want to try the "AI experience," many resorts (some of which are next to the villa communities) offer day passes, so you can eat, drink, and do whatever on the resort. That said, you'll likely prefer proper restaurant food and pouring your own top shelf liquor to eating at the buffets and wondering how heavily watered-down the well drinks are.

It's funny, lots of folk on an AI can't wait to get off the resort, while those in apartments or villas wonder what the AI experience is like. Go figure, lol.

Either way, be safe and have fun.
 
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newt0dr

Newbie
Apr 12, 2015
9
0
0
DRob said:
Doesn't really matter, all the listed properties are very nice. Ultimately, for clubbing purposes, all roads lead to Oro and Mangu. Other than that, the beach is the beach. You're going with a nice-sized group, so having fun likely won't be a problem.

One thought: is everyone single, or are a few coupled up? If so, a more cost-effective option might be to rent a villa. July is low season there, and you can get yourself a great spot at the lowest prices of the year. You can hire a cook or just go to the many restaurants in the area, hang out at the beach during the day, and club at night. You'll likely save money, run into pretty much the same people as you would at an AI, and enjoy a far more exclusive and personalized experience.

For those who want to try the "AI experience," many resorts (some of which are next to the villa communities) offer day passes, so you can eat, drink, and do whatever on the resort. That said, you'll likely prefer proper restaurant food and pouring your own top shelf liquor to eating at the buffets and wondering how heavily watered-down the well drinks are.

It's funny, lots of folk on an AI can't wait to get off the resort, while those in apartments or villas wonder what the AI experience is like. Go figure, lol.

Either way, be safe and have fun.
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I love staying in AI for "just to relax" vacation, rather than to "explore" vacation. For the latter, it is a no brainer that AI is not a wise choice. We are not planning on leaving the hotel during the day and would not leave at night if entertainment and party scene is sufficient.

Everybody is single. We love socializing and meeting new people, hence why we are looking for a hotel with guests in our age group and not a villa.
 
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newt0dr

Newbie
Apr 12, 2015
9
0
0
keepcoming said:
The Hard Rock property is huge but for your age group I think it would be a good choice. It is also one of the more nicer resorts. I have heard good things about the Riu Palace Bavaro, (also newer resort) we had friends stay there and some in the group were in their 20's and they enjoyed it. You would be surprised how many "young folk" that you will find at the Hard Rock. When we were there many of the guests were in your age group. My only issue with the Hard Rock is the size, just to big for my liking. However there was always something going on so there is a lot to keep you entertained.
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Riu Palace Bavaro seems far if going out clubbing.

Any other alternatives to Hard Rock? I don't really like huge hotels like that, but we don't have much choice.
 
keepcoming

keepcoming

Moderator - Living & General Stuff
May 25, 2011
4,792
2,558
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The Barcel? Palace Deluxe is also very nice...not sure how far away from "clubbing" it is. But the beach there is one of the best. It is a big resort however not as big as the Hard Rock and has many options. I know the Iberostar Grand is a nice hotel and they have (pretty sure they still do) a "ship" that turns into a night club at night. This is a Adults only property. There is not much "clubbing" in Punta Cana that I am aware of that is really that great. I know of the Oro and I have heard of the Mangu but from what friends have told me both clubs are hit or miss depending on when you go. As mentioned July is low season so keep that in mind. You may find just hanging at the resort at night turns out to be better than hopping a taxi to a club. Weekends of course are much more lively, and you may see more locals at the resort over the weekend depending on which hotel. Many offer really good weekend rates to local residents but it depends on the property. Honestly any resort can be hit or miss just depending on when you go. Look at Trip Advisor and read some reviews for the resorts. It may help you get a better idea.
 
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santiagodude

Member
Nov 25, 2012
513
2
18
Keep in mind Punta Cana's Largest market share is couples and families.......If your primary concern is other singles in your age range you may want to consider Cabarete, which has more of what you seem to be looking for.
 
C

Criss Colon

Platinum
Jan 2, 2002
21,843
191
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yahoomail.com
Obviously, unless you are very rich, you have not checked the prices at the "HR".
GREAT PLACE, I'll be there "VISITING" next weekend!!!!!!
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N

newt0dr

Newbie
Apr 12, 2015
9
0
0
santiagodude said:
Keep in mind Punta Cana's Largest market share is couples and families.......If your primary concern is other singles in your age range you may want to consider Cabarete, which has more of what you seem to be looking for.
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JDJones said:
OP, Have you heard about Cabarete? A small Kite surfing town on the north coast. You may want to consider that as an option.

Also, what is an exclusive and classier clubbing experience?
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Cabarete does not have any resorts. Most of the hotels are not that nice either. Waterfront and Ultravioleta seem pretty good, but they are too small.

santiagodude said:
Keep in mind Punta Cana's Largest market share is couples and families.......If your primary concern is other singles in your age range you may want to consider Cabarete, which has more of what you seem to be looking for.
Click to expand...

Criss Colon said:
Obviously, unless you are very rich, you have not checked the prices at the "HR".
GREAT PLACE, I'll be there "VISITING" next weekend!!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
Click to expand...

We are not rich, but hopefully someday! haha. We are not doing too bad though and actually looking at the presidential suite, and a regular room to have enough beds for all 6 of us at Hard Rock.
 
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