El Portillo Resort: Hard to find info?

Try, this website: http://www.portillo-resort.com/ It does have small pics of the rooms. It leaves you guessing.

It has been more than ten years since I have stayed there, Therefore, I excuse myself from making a comment of the present conditions of the resort at this time. When I was there, it was clean, food was good, as was the service.

It is some distance from the nearest large airport, Puerto Plata. It is somewhat isolated, although a short distance away are shops and services of Las Terrenas. It is not a nightlife hotspot. The area around it, the Samana Pennisula is beautiful and is worth some excursions to explore.

I'm sure some of the other regular posters will provide some additional information for you. Regards, PJT

Also, try this website: Debbies Dominican Travel Page, http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/travel38.html#EL PORTILLO

El Portillo - Samana

Hi christieann,

Greetings from Atlantic Canada.

Not sure where you are travelling from but Signature has this property from Canada.

Here is a link:

http://www.signaturevacations.com/svec/ApplicationSentry?Comp=300&ProductId=530

Not a lot of info but some.

Hope it is of some help.

Good luck.

Gregg

took the letter right outta my finger tips....Perfect answer....

HB, a real fan of Saman?...

Oh yeah, it is Las Terrenas, not Las Terranas...now that last one sounds funny in English or Spanish!!

Sorry H.B., about Las Terranas. I get dyslexia of the fingers often and the typo is the result. I was not focusing properly. Now, if only I can get my foot out of my mouth. Have a great day all. Regards, PJT

Fireguy
What part of atlantic Canada are you from.Im orriginally from Moncton N.B.We dont see too many posters from the great white north

Atlantic Canada

Hi Johnny,

I live in Dartmouth, NS but my inlaws are from Moncton. Usually get there every month or two with my wife (they're not getting any younger). I am self-employed (with a business partner) selling fire equipment to fire departments - hence FireGuy.

We have been to POP three times (Riu Mambo, Iberostar costa Dorada and Riu Bachata) and are returning in April '03 for two weeks at Bahia Principe - Club Hacienda; Rio San Juan. Every time we come to POP we try to spend more time outside the resort than the time before.

I seem to recall (sorry if I misremembered) that you work at Playa Dorada. If so where and doing what? Just curious.

Later.

Gregg

Far from wanting to knock down any business in the DR, God knows we all need it, but if you have other options maybe you should consider them.

Fireguy
You remembered right I work at Occidental Flamenco Beach as manager of their vip program.Do you know the resort youre going to?The reason i ask is because you say you try to go outside the resort often,if so bahia principe is secluded and a good distace from the nearest town of Rio San Juan,there is a little mini village operated by the hotel and charging tourist prices,also the on site beach sucks but you can go to caleton or playa grande by bus or taxi.If ya come by Sosua drop in at Britania pub im there for cocktails nearly every night after work,lol
Johnny
p.s. Is the Misty Moon still going I HAD A LOT OF GOOD TIMES THERE IN THE70S:bandit:

Sorry Johnny -

the Misty Moon is just a part of my foggy recollections of my university days '71 - '76; not there anymore. But it was great while it lasted. Made a bit of a comeback after that but the music scene she was a changin. Now all Celtic and some blues but at least the quality has always been relatively good in Atlantic Canada.

I am aware that Rio San Juan is a ways out (last spring we hired a driver; Martin Espinal from Mont Llano, to drive us around between POP and Rio San Juan). Saw a lot of the north coast from a lot of perspectives. This spring we plan to spend at least a whole day in Cabarete and another in Sosua. The resort offers a bus but at $RD99 I could just about get a bus ticket from POP - SDQ. I will be inquiring about guaguas and publicos from Rio San Juan west as the vacation approaches. I am familiar with the situation from POP - Sosua/Cabarete but not east of that. We plan to investigate all that the Rio San Juan area has to offer including the beaches you mentioned. Will definately try to see you at the Britania Pub and will contact you as April approaches.

Talk to you later.

Gregg

Fireguy: Question for you...

How was your stay at the Riu Bachata in POP?

I'm planning on staying there in a couple of weeks...I have stayed in PC at the Riu Bambu and it was awesome!!

Thanks!

Hi Musicqueen,

Greetings from Atlantic Canada.

The Rius POP (Mambo, Merengue & Bachata) are an amazing group of resorts set in a complex 9 km. west of POP city near the village of Maimon. They are all designated ClubHotels (as is the Bambu in PUJ) so they are a little less formal (long pants are NOT needed in any of the restaurants) than the Hotels, Palaces and Grand Palaces in the Riu chain.

When you register at one you are entitled to use the facilities of all three resorts with the exception that you are expected to eat your evening meal at your own buffet restaurant at the time you selected; unless you had previously arranged for dinner at a specialty restaurant. There are no wristbands. BTW I highly recommend the filet mignon at the Grill Steakhouse and the sanconcho at the Dominican restaurant was filling and savoury.

Among the three resorts there are some 1500 rooms but except for the Bachata buildings up on the bluff and the clock tower between the Mambo and Merengue you cannot see anything as all buildings are lower in height than the surrounding trees.

If you want to read my review of the Riu Bachata it is at:

http://www.debbiesdominicantravel.com/riubachata.html

Look for the review by Gregg from Dartmouth, NS, Canada posted in October 2002.

If you have any questions or would like me to e-mail you a resort map or some photographs I scanned please send me an e-mail. Let me know of any file size constraints which you may have so I don't send too much at one time. Total file size is about 1.63 Mb.

Gregg