Going to AI Resort on your own car

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Gringo Starr

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Aug 11, 2014
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I plan to spend some days in the AI resort in Bavaro with a girl that is coming from another country.

So I'll make the resort reservation on Expedia, pick her at the airport, and we will go to the resort in my car.

The question is: As I read in many threads (like the one about Uber) the resorts don't allow anybody to pick up tourists except union taxis. But in this case I am the tourist myself, on a local car, I have Dominican cedula, the girlfriend has foreign passport, the Expedia reservation will be in my name, so should I expect any typical Dominican stupid questions and/or problems every time I enter/exit the resorts's parking lot?
 
TravelHippo

TravelHippo

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Mar 24, 2008
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I don't know about Bavaro, but it would be absolutely no problem at all in the Puerto Plata area so I assume it would be the same there. Anyone can drive their own car and friends/family to a resort with them.
 
G

Gringo Starr

*** I love DR1! ***
Aug 11, 2014
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TravelHippo said:
I don't know about Bavaro, but it would be absolutely no problem at all in the Puerto Plata area so I assume it would be the same there.
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I know it's not a problem on North Coast or in Juan Dolio, La Romana. I am asking specifically about Punta Cana/ Bavaro AIs.

TravelHippo said:
Anyone can drive their own car and friends/family to a resort with them.
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I know I can. The question is do I have to explain it to resort's security guards and waste my time for it every time I enter/exit the resort.
 
M

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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No problem at all. The hotels don't care about that anyway. It could be the taxi union, but not in this case. I've picked up family and friends and dropped them of at the hotel without even staying myself.
 
G

Gringo Starr

*** I love DR1! ***
Aug 11, 2014
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Mauricio said:
No problem at all. The hotels don't care about that anyway. It could be the taxi union, but not in this case. I've picked up family and friends and dropped them of at the hotel without even staying myself.
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Thanks for the information!
 
K

KateP

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May 28, 2004
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The first time you enter, they'll probably ask to see your reservation. From then on if you decided to leave the resort to drive around, you simply show them your bracelet.
 
D

DRdreaming

Member
Jul 29, 2014
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No problem in Bavaro. You just tell them you are checking in when you arrive. After that, you just show your bracelets when entering the resort.

Sent from my SM-E700H using Tapatalk
 
R

rubio_higuey

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Feb 7, 2007
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This will not be a problem, when you enter first time you will show your reservation printout at the gate, they will pretend to be busy studying it for like 30 seconds (yeah like those security guys can read German, right), then they hand it back to you and let you in. I have never ever had them see call to front desk to confirm, again they just pretend to be smart but they just look at the reservation printout so as not to look stupid, then you get in. After that they give you a bracelet when you check in, or a key card at some hotels that work instead of your bracelet and serves ID purposes. You can leave and reenter and then just show your hand when re-entering.
 
J

jd426

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Dec 12, 2009
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KateP said:
The first time you enter, they'll probably ask to see your reservation. From then on if you decided to leave the resort to drive around, you simply show them your bracelet.
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to the OP
This right here (above) , is all you need to know..
Done it dozens of times, but not in Bavaro.. its always the same procedure though with the Guard who opens the gate..
Dont forget to bring him some Food that you perhaps had at a Restaurant or a drink he can enjoy later..
It seems to make the gate go up a lot faster and puts a smile on his face..
Parking at the AI's always seems Plentiful (except maybe on Big Holiday weekends ) as most arrive by taxi or Bus and have no Rental car, until they get more like you and want to explore..
A rental Car Takes your AI experience to a whole new level, as you are totally Free to come and go as you please. Its more of a Home base than a confinement .. Lots more fun.
 
M

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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jd426 said:
to the OP
This right here (above) , is all you need to know..
Done it dozens of times, but not in Bavaro.. its always the same procedure though with the Guard who opens the gate..
Dont forget to bring him some Food that you perhaps had at a Restaurant or a drink he can enjoy later..
It seems to make the gate go up a lot faster and puts a smile on his face..
Parking at the AI's always seems Plentiful (except maybe on Big Holiday weekends ) as most arrive by taxi or Bus and have no Rental car, until they get more like you and want to explore..
A rental Car Takes your AI experience to a whole new level, as you are totally Free to come and go as you please. Its more of a Home base than a confinement .. Lots more fun.
Click to expand...

I never experience this need to give stuff to people to get them to their job on that level. I don't hand out stuff for nothing and don't have to wait longer at a gate, beg for to be serviced, etc. I don't expect to be treated with priority either. Just act normal and they'll act normal. Example: I go sometimes for lunch at a infotep restaurant in a guarded free trade zone in Haina. The first few times if I'd go alone I would try to explain to the guard that I'm not visiting anyone but would like to have lunch, they started asking me a bunch of questions, wanted to see my cedula, a visitors plate on my dashboard, etc.

Once I went with a Dominican friend and he would open his window a bit and say: 'a comer', the gate would sway open right away. That's how I get in now. Dominicans smell over polite or kind behavior from far and react counter productive. Behave like the average Dominican and they don't waste their time but just let you pass.
 
J

jd426

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Dec 12, 2009
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Mauricio said:
I never experience this need to give stuff to people to get them to their job on that level. I don't hand out stuff for nothing and don't have to wait longer at a gate, beg for to be serviced, etc. I don't expect to be treated with priority either. Just act normal and they'll act normal. Example: I go sometimes for lunch at a infotep restaurant in a guarded free trade zone in Haina. The first few times if I'd go alone I would try to explain to the guard that I'm not visiting anyone but would like to have lunch, they started asking me a bunch of questions, wanted to see my cedula, a visitors plate on my dashboard, etc.

Once I went with a Dominican friend and he would open his window a bit and say: 'a comer', the gate would sway open right away. That's how I get in now. Dominicans smell over polite or kind behavior from far and react counter productive. Behave like the average Dominican and they don't waste their time but just let you pass.
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Excuse me for being a Mensch,, I do it cause I want to , and the food was leftover from Family style that 2 of us could not finish..
Honestly, the stuff some of you try to pick at ... here is an Idea... you do YOU, and I will do ME..
I know you did not mean anything by it, but come one.. I dont Propina COPS who stop me for a Roadblock
but if I want to give a guy who is bored out of his Mind in a Gate shack a Bite to Eat , and a drink I think thats my personal business, and does not affect anyone else but me.
So please.
And as to "smelling over politeness" ,, refer back to my Police Propina example, I have enough experience to know who to propina/regalo and who NOT to..
Them dudes at Immigration at POP, they get a finger wag when they write Propina on a piece of paper.
 
M

Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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jd426 said:
Excuse me for being a Mensch,, I do it cause I want to , and the food was leftover from Family style that 2 of us could not finish..
Honestly, the stuff some of you try to pick at ... here is an Idea... you do YOU, and I will do ME..
I know you did not mean anything by it, but come one.. I dont Propina COPS who stop me for a Roadblock
but if I want to give a guy who is bored out of his Mind in a Gate shack a Bite to Eat , and a drink I think thats my personal business, and does not affect anyone else but me.
So please.
And as to "smelling over politeness" ,, refer back to my Police Propina example, I have enough experience to know who to propina/regalo and who NOT to..
Them dudes at Immigration at POP, they get a finger wag when they write Propina on a piece of paper.
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That's not what you said, you said to give him food and then by magic the gate goes up faster.
 
Tamborista

Tamborista

hasta la tambora
Apr 4, 2005
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You guys are arguing about giving the security guard a 1/2 eaten empanada vs no empanada, WOW!
 
M

MJSantoDomingo

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Apr 13, 2011
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What people have written is correct.... I have driven to Punta Cana to stay at different resorts at times. When first getting to the gate the guard will ask, and maybe call, to verify that you have a reservation, then let you in. During your stay, if you leave the resort, just show your bracelets when returning.
 
4

4*4*4

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May 4, 2015
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It seems to depend on the individual at the gate. At Cap Cana, most of the time we get waved through with a big smile and don't have to even slow down. Other times, it is like Ground Hog day and I have to explain who I am. Moving in a few weeks and will probably be back to square one there as well.
 
J

jd426

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Dec 12, 2009
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Mauricio said:
That's not what you said, you said to give him food and then by magic the gate goes up faster.
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that is NOT what I meant....but ok, thats fair then, if that is how you took it..
It was another way of expressing that people respond to kindness, they are human.
they are not Animals
He asked for NOTHING, ever.. I chose to do it. there IS a difference.
Its the SAME as giving a TIP to the Maids who bring you Clean Towels.. they get MORE though.. cuz I like Towels..

You sort of have a point, about my choice of words, but you SHOULD know who BEGS, and who does not..
The Guy operating the Gate does not beg, he is not in a position to do that cuz he will lose his job immediately.
this is getting kind of off topic though, but Point taken, I will choose my words more carefully in the future.


Tamborista said:
You guys are arguing about giving the security guard a 1/2 eaten empanada vs no empanada, WOW!
Click to expand...

No, its just a misunderstanding, not argument
... bad choice of words on my part...
 
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