I just returned from Secrets excellence in Punta Cana (12/03/04) and thought I would share my experience for those who are traveling to the area or resort. This was our second trip to Punta Cana and we enjoyed both trips immensely. Secrets is a beautiful resort and it was everything it was advertised to be. The beach, the grounds, the facilities, and the pools were great. The service is awesome and the staff if very friendly. The best part of the resort is the room. It is very large and luxurious. The food is good, but is seems very good because the presentation is great. I thought the Mexican restaurant was great. Everything was fresh and the service in the restaurants was pretty good. The buffett is the only place service is slow. We went to the spa, and it was very nice and reasonable priced considering we were at a 5-star resort in the tropics. There is virtually no visible evidence a hurricane slammed the resort 10 weeks ago, also. Some things that were surprises to us included the following: the ocean at the resort is pretty rough. I am a very strong swimmer, so it didn't bother me, but it could be an issue if one was not a good swimmer. I was not thrilled with the Marinarium snorkeling excursion. It was too long of a trip (over 6 hrs.), ended after dark, and there was only about 45 minutes of actual snorkeling. More a waste of time than money, although it was $155 US for two. We did the mini speed boats last time, and they were ok. Again, we only wanted to snorkel but the only way to do that was via one of these overpriced excursions that take way too much of your day. More good things about the resort: The drinks were great. I am thrilled I did not have to settle a bar tab at the end of the week, because it would have been scary. I also liked the casino. It is small, but very nice. I only played blackjack, so I cannot comment on the rest of the games. I had fun and won money so I probably liked it more than some. Overall, it was a great trip.
Our last trip was to Sunscape Punta Cana Grand in June 2002. Secrets is a nicer facility and the rooms are much nicer. It is also more expensive, so that should be the case. Some advantages to Sunscape include the fact it is closer to the airport (20 minutes vs. 60+ minutes), the ocean is calmer, and it is closer tot he sorkeling because the reef is right in front of the hotel. Secrets has better facilities, better food, better shows, better staff, and is more remote. Sunscape was more crowded. It could have been the time of year, but I heard Secrets was at 90% capacity the week we were there. Also, Secrets has no kids. We went to get away from kids, so it was nice to not have any at the resort.
One last thing, we took a bunch of school supplies with us to distribute to the schools. The poverty outside the resort is quite evident and they have schools, but don't have money for supplies. I went to Walmart and bought about $50 worth of stuff to take with me. You can give the supplies to the peole at the front desk or grab someone going on the Outback safari to deliver them for you. The DR is a poor nation. We enjoyed our trip and wanted to give something to those in need. I also made sure to tip the staff accordingly. I would take 50-75 one dollar bills for tips. The US dollar is preferred. I know the all-inclusive resorts say tips are included, but extra gratuities are much appreciated. I can say early in the week, we got the best tables in the restaurants, the bartenders noticed me quickly, and our room was very well taken care of. By the end of the week, the front desk had run out of one dollar bills, so it would be wise to have change before arrival. I have stayed in nice hotels and resorts many times in the past, and Secrets is certainly worthy of its rating. We love the DR and would highly recommend it to our friends.
Our last trip was to Sunscape Punta Cana Grand in June 2002. Secrets is a nicer facility and the rooms are much nicer. It is also more expensive, so that should be the case. Some advantages to Sunscape include the fact it is closer to the airport (20 minutes vs. 60+ minutes), the ocean is calmer, and it is closer tot he sorkeling because the reef is right in front of the hotel. Secrets has better facilities, better food, better shows, better staff, and is more remote. Sunscape was more crowded. It could have been the time of year, but I heard Secrets was at 90% capacity the week we were there. Also, Secrets has no kids. We went to get away from kids, so it was nice to not have any at the resort.
One last thing, we took a bunch of school supplies with us to distribute to the schools. The poverty outside the resort is quite evident and they have schools, but don't have money for supplies. I went to Walmart and bought about $50 worth of stuff to take with me. You can give the supplies to the peole at the front desk or grab someone going on the Outback safari to deliver them for you. The DR is a poor nation. We enjoyed our trip and wanted to give something to those in need. I also made sure to tip the staff accordingly. I would take 50-75 one dollar bills for tips. The US dollar is preferred. I know the all-inclusive resorts say tips are included, but extra gratuities are much appreciated. I can say early in the week, we got the best tables in the restaurants, the bartenders noticed me quickly, and our room was very well taken care of. By the end of the week, the front desk had run out of one dollar bills, so it would be wise to have change before arrival. I have stayed in nice hotels and resorts many times in the past, and Secrets is certainly worthy of its rating. We love the DR and would highly recommend it to our friends.