My girlfriend and I just returned from Secrets Excellence Punta Cana; we were there from May 29-June 4. In short, the place is a top notch, outstanding resort. With that said, here are the details:
TRANSFER: The ride from the airport was harrowing, but it did give us the opportunity to see how real people live in the DR outside of the resort. There are tons of potholes and uneven terrain, especially as we got closer to the resort, and the driver was all over the road by neccessity. Consider taking some Dramamine if you are prone to car sickness.
GROUNDS: The property itself is immaculate. Neither words nor pictures do it justice. No matter what direction you look, there is something beautiful to see. Moreover, there are constantly staff members walking around and discretely cleaning, so the grounds are in top condition all the time.
ACCOMODATIONS: We had a third floor garden view room with cathedral ceilings, which I highly recommend if you have the opportunity. Our room was clean and nicely decorated, and the cleaning staff would frequently make decorative things out of the towels or leave rose petals in the jacuzzi tub. We were delighted with our room -- not sure what the upgraded rooms are like, but I did not feel short-changed in the normal room at all. The bed was a little firm for my taste, but I am accustomed to a pretty soft bed at home.
BEACH: The beach is breathtaking -- clear, turquoise-blue water. The red flags were out all week, but most people went into the water anyway to boogie board, body surf, or just bob up and down in the waves. The water is much calmer on either side of the resort if you don't like the waves. There are plenty of loungers out in the sun, but I'd recommend getting one near the palm tress closer to the resort -- the thatch-covered loungers and hammocks are great places to take a nap without worrying about getting scorched, and you can always move out in to the sun as you wish.
POOL: Both pools are outstanding and are perfect for floating around catching some rays. The only place where there is any activity of note is by the pool bar. Everything else is fairly sedate, in a good way. Try to get one of the large thatch-covered huts -- we had some great naps out there...
FOOD: The food was quite good. Although not everything was great, you will be able to find something because of the incredible variety. My favorite place was probably the Mexican place, but I wasn't disappointed by anything I had. If you can't find something you like here, I suspect you have issues.
DRINKS: Plentiful and varied. 'Nuff said.
ENTERTAINMENT: OK, the folks on Broadway are probably safe for now, but the staff tries hard and the shows are entertaining, which is the whole point, I suppose. There are clearly some talented people involved. The staff that does the icebreakers and the daily activities are a riot and are about as friendly a group of people as you could ever imagine. Their smiles are infectious, and they were able to make even the most mundane activity a heck of a lot of fun.
OTHER: A number of reviews I'd read of Secrets in the past spoke of a "language barrier." This baffles me. I actually went out of my way to learn some conversational Spanish before I left, but I was hard-pressed to find anyone that would actually speak it with me when I got there -- I'd address them in Spanish, they'd reply in English. Everyone on the staff seems to speak enough English to communicate with you within the boundaries of their job descriptions. For example, the maids spoke enough English to make sure you had enough towels, etc., but if you wanted to talk with them about how good the food was, you would be out of luck. The folks at the front desk speak great English, so you can always head up there if you have any issues. In other words, no problems on the language front.
In closing, I would note that I have traveled extensively and have had some excellent accommodations over the years. I tend to be a picky eater, and I also tend to be the type of person that will go somewhere and love it, but not return simply because I?d prefer to try some place new. With all that said, Secrets Excellence Punta Cana is among the elite properties I?ve ever visited, and I look forward to returning some time...
Feel free to send any questions my way...
TRANSFER: The ride from the airport was harrowing, but it did give us the opportunity to see how real people live in the DR outside of the resort. There are tons of potholes and uneven terrain, especially as we got closer to the resort, and the driver was all over the road by neccessity. Consider taking some Dramamine if you are prone to car sickness.
GROUNDS: The property itself is immaculate. Neither words nor pictures do it justice. No matter what direction you look, there is something beautiful to see. Moreover, there are constantly staff members walking around and discretely cleaning, so the grounds are in top condition all the time.
ACCOMODATIONS: We had a third floor garden view room with cathedral ceilings, which I highly recommend if you have the opportunity. Our room was clean and nicely decorated, and the cleaning staff would frequently make decorative things out of the towels or leave rose petals in the jacuzzi tub. We were delighted with our room -- not sure what the upgraded rooms are like, but I did not feel short-changed in the normal room at all. The bed was a little firm for my taste, but I am accustomed to a pretty soft bed at home.
BEACH: The beach is breathtaking -- clear, turquoise-blue water. The red flags were out all week, but most people went into the water anyway to boogie board, body surf, or just bob up and down in the waves. The water is much calmer on either side of the resort if you don't like the waves. There are plenty of loungers out in the sun, but I'd recommend getting one near the palm tress closer to the resort -- the thatch-covered loungers and hammocks are great places to take a nap without worrying about getting scorched, and you can always move out in to the sun as you wish.
POOL: Both pools are outstanding and are perfect for floating around catching some rays. The only place where there is any activity of note is by the pool bar. Everything else is fairly sedate, in a good way. Try to get one of the large thatch-covered huts -- we had some great naps out there...
FOOD: The food was quite good. Although not everything was great, you will be able to find something because of the incredible variety. My favorite place was probably the Mexican place, but I wasn't disappointed by anything I had. If you can't find something you like here, I suspect you have issues.
DRINKS: Plentiful and varied. 'Nuff said.
ENTERTAINMENT: OK, the folks on Broadway are probably safe for now, but the staff tries hard and the shows are entertaining, which is the whole point, I suppose. There are clearly some talented people involved. The staff that does the icebreakers and the daily activities are a riot and are about as friendly a group of people as you could ever imagine. Their smiles are infectious, and they were able to make even the most mundane activity a heck of a lot of fun.
OTHER: A number of reviews I'd read of Secrets in the past spoke of a "language barrier." This baffles me. I actually went out of my way to learn some conversational Spanish before I left, but I was hard-pressed to find anyone that would actually speak it with me when I got there -- I'd address them in Spanish, they'd reply in English. Everyone on the staff seems to speak enough English to communicate with you within the boundaries of their job descriptions. For example, the maids spoke enough English to make sure you had enough towels, etc., but if you wanted to talk with them about how good the food was, you would be out of luck. The folks at the front desk speak great English, so you can always head up there if you have any issues. In other words, no problems on the language front.
In closing, I would note that I have traveled extensively and have had some excellent accommodations over the years. I tend to be a picky eater, and I also tend to be the type of person that will go somewhere and love it, but not return simply because I?d prefer to try some place new. With all that said, Secrets Excellence Punta Cana is among the elite properties I?ve ever visited, and I look forward to returning some time...
Feel free to send any questions my way...
