La Sirena Puerto Plata

Classify the overall experience at La Sirena Puerto Plata.


  • Total voters
    53

NALs

Economist by Profession
Jan 20, 2003
13,370
3,150
113
For DR1 customers at this store, classify the overall experience at La Sirena Puerto Plata.

Take into consideration everything from customer service to the variety and availability of products, cleanliness, safety, prices, etc. If need to elaborate, post away.
 

jrhartley

Gold
Sep 10, 2008
8,190
580
0
64
I voted for good because they didnt have something i was looking for -everything is excellent apart from the choice in a few areas
 

Afgan

New member
Mar 29, 2009
370
27
0
good prices lasted only few months. Now not big difference from Playero. No sense to burn gas driving from Sosua.
 

jrhartley

Gold
Sep 10, 2008
8,190
580
0
64
i think playero prices may have come down a bit or remained static in the sirena months, so its a positive effect
 

dv8

Gold
Sep 27, 2006
31,266
363
0
overall good: better selection of products than in tropical or jose luis; prices are comparable; service fairly swift; they have productos de carniceria bavaria; they have bagels; nice beef and meat selection.
but: once be bought eggs there - nearly all were rotten; cheese and ham are fresher in jose luis; too many people.
i still shop mostly in jose luis, they have improved a lot since la sirena opened - large parking (on the other side of the street but still), german butcher produce, farmacia. also, i see don tito a lot now. he is often in the shop keeping eye on things...
 

CFA123

Silver
May 29, 2004
3,512
413
83
For me, it just doesn't seem worth a trip from the Cabarete area.

As a grocery store it's okay.
For general merchandise/hardware/linens to me it's a disappointment. I've made a few trips looking for specific items & either they didn't have what I was looking for, the selection was poor, or the items were of poor quality. The only area I've seen that has a reasonable selection is in small kitchen appliances.

Not worth the 1 1/2 hour round trip... I'm not sure what they have that I can't find in Cabarete or Sosua. Wish it were better.
 

J D Sauser

Silver
Nov 20, 2004
2,940
390
83
www.hispanosuizainvest.com
I may assume we are discussing La Sirena on Puerto Plata's Malecon (?).

I like it, but then, I don't. Yes, at first glance, it gives one a little 1st world moment. But then, the typical 3rd worldish failures, some consistently overpriced item, "accidental" miscalculations (always to the clients disadvantage) and the tendency of trying to take clients for stupid, like hand selected apples @ 39Pesos/Lb but a 3Lbs bag with less desirable ones for 129 Pesos (do the math... they are definitely NOT PriceSmart -multipacks are often tend to be more expensive than buying detail or several smaller portions at Sirena!) paired with the unloading of China's worst in toys, clothing and home goods... Then, there are the big "OFFERTA" booths and stands... but no price or it's more expensive than ever before.
Well, it's a sudden awakening... we're back in "paradise". :cheeky:

What really gets me fuming is that Dominicans don't seem to know Dominicans at all. The planing and architectural firm who designed this monster, has done similar work before. They are local (SD) and well respected. Could they not have foreseen that, given their fellow folks innate inability to refrain from obstructing vital passages for the sake to be "primero" or "ma' comodo", it would be unwise (to put it diplomatically) to allow the entry and exit vehicular drive ways to pass in front of the main entry to the store? :tired:
Did they not know, that in the DR there is a phenomenon called MotoConcho and that they have a tendency to claim territorial rights and thus need to be be setup in a planned manner so they would not have to be fought off like flies from poop every minute the store is open?
They had asked me, I could have told them... and I was only living here around a year by the time the started clearing out that lot.

Anyways... when I compare it to what I had seen in second and third class cities in Ecuador over 15 years ago... having La Sirena in Puerto Plata may be intended to suggest we are now gente too, but indeed, we're still lagging behind.

But then, I have to confess, that for some reason, yes, my shopping has shifted in a great part to La Sirena. But I still try to give the other two (Tropical and J. Luis) some of my local business.


... J-D.
 
B

BettyDiamond

Guest
wow so many poors it must be better than not having it at all
 

DRob

Gold
Aug 15, 2007
8,234
594
113
I was there in November, and thought it was just fine. As stated, it's like a mini Wal Mart.

Prices aren't cheap, but they are better than what Playero was charging. In addition, the overall quality and selection is higher, particularly for produce.

For a week or two week stay, one trip to La Sirena will likely do the trick (a big bonus is the scenic drive to the store and the POP Malecon. If you live there and know your way around the smaller stores, then it might be a bit different.
 

Black Dog

Bronze
May 29, 2009
1,761
154
0
They usually ask me at the checkout if I found everything I was looking for, we once said "no" and told them what it was, 2 weeks later they had it in stock!
 

belgiank

Silver
Jun 13, 2009
3,251
103
0
La Sirena at La Vega

a lot of the same remarks here...

Yes, I like having it at half an hours distance, but...

there variety changes a lot... sometimes they have things, and one week later they don't...

prices are not cheaper than at the local supermercado in jarabacoa, except for such items as coke...

complicated system of customer loyalty card... and it is a problem if you do not have one... why do I have to go to customer service for this promo, and to another service for another promo????

warranty on electrical appliances is a joke... 5 days?????

meat selection is only equal and more expensive than the local deli carneceria in jarabacoa

So why do I go there occasionally? For their delicious roasted chicken... lol
 

meregirl

New member
Aug 22, 2008
185
10
0
I like it

Maybe if I lived there permanently I would rate differently but for me it is so great to have a store that has all the things I am looking for and organized in a reasonable manner. Yes I can tell it is a lot more expensive then like Janet's in Cabarete but since I tend to prefer Playero it is about the same.
 

Conchman

Silver
Jul 3, 2002
4,586
160
63
57
www.oceanworld.net
better selection that most stores however the following is missing:

1) why no corn on the cob hardly ever?
2) no celery yesterday
3) no chicken wing sauce ever
 

anng3

Bronze
Jan 12, 2007
1,013
29
48
Like that it is clean, cashiers friendly and they have new items each time I go. Don't like that they often are out of sale items. Was there yesterday, no crowds.
 

DRLover1

New member
Dec 7, 2007
17
0
0
My only issue ...

Although it may seem petty ...is that they never seem to have mushrooms?? other than that i like it!

:/