Casa Marina Beach or Casa Marina Reef?

[Al]

Hi (Hola) Everyone.

I am coming to DR (Sosua)for the jazz festival next week.
I have narrowed down my hotel to the Casa Marina Beach or
the Casa Marina Reef. Can anyone out there who might have stayed
at both of these places give me a comparison. Which one would you choose? What does one have that the other don't.

Any comments you have will be greatly apprieated.
Al from New York

 

[Jim Hinsch]

They are the same resort. The half that has cliffs along the water is the reef, the half with the sand along the water is the beach. They share their facilities (dining, pools, etc.). About the only thing I can see that distinguishes one from the other is which side of the resort you are on. We stayed on the beach side, but preferred the pool at reef side. For all practical purposes, it is one resort. Choose the beach side if you want to be closer to the main dining and beach. Choose the reef side if you want to be closer to the nicer pool and less crowded.

 

[Eddy]

Dinning not the same. I hear the Reef has better food but costs more to stay there.

 

[Jim Hinsch]

When I stayed there last year, they shared all dining facilities. There was only one buffet and a variety of a-la-carte restaurants. The price was the same.

 

[Eddy]

Just spoke to some tourists living at both Casa Marina Beach & Reef. The guests at Casa Marina Beach cannot go to the dinning facilities at Casa Marina Reef. As for the othe restaurants, no problem but you have to pay. Even non residents of the hotels can go.

 

[Bill]

Just back from Casa Marina - stayed at the Beach, but the Reef appears to consist of newer construction and more modern layout. I can't speak as to the relative cost. Otherwise, the food is the same, but there are different (free) buffet restaurants that you must use, depending on which part of C.M. you pay for and stay in. However, the three specialty restaurants (Mexican, Italian and seafood) are available at night to either Reef or Beach residents if you make a reservation in the a.m. of that same day. All other facilities are available to all residents. One word of warning - stay away from the portion of C.M. Beach that is adjacent to Sosua streets - it is adjacent to the entrance to the hotel and often noisy, the air conditioning is too loud and some of the rooms are damp and musty . I just found out the hard way for one week, and then switched to the newer (closer to the beach) portion of C.M. Beach.
We had a great time and highly recommend either part of C.M.!!

 

[Jim Hinsch]

This is how it was when I stayed there. It doesn't sound like that part has changed. All facilities and the restaurants were shared and included, except they only had 1 buffet set up and it was overflowing. I'm glad to hear they've set up a second.

Jim Hinsch
JimHinsch@CSI.COM

 

[Eddy]

Back to Q. from my previous post. Are the guests of Casa Marina Beach permitted to eat at the Reef? (Not talking about the Specialty Rests).I was told they were not.

 

[Jim Hinsch]

As Bill, who just got back from there pointed out, all facilities including restaurants are shared. The exception is the buffet, where they now have two separate but equal buffets. So in practice, it is one big resort and anybody from either side is free to enjoy the other side. The designation "Reef" or "Beach" just describes which side of the resort you stay on and which buffet area you dine at.

Apparently the people you contacted there were mistaken, as the "specialty" restaurants (there are 3) do not belong to one side of the resort or the other, are shared and available to guests of either side, and are included with the price of the all-inclusive-stay.

This is also how it was when I visited, except there had only been 1 buffet area, and as I pointed out in my report, there wasn't enough seating and we often found ourselves standing around waiting for a table to free up.

Jim Hinsch
JimHinsch@CSI.COM

 

[Eddy]

All along I was talking about the Buffet. The people from Beach are not allowed to the Reef. (Buffet) That is the only thing I wanted to have cleared up. Jim, the bottom line "Who give's a
s.it"

 

[Jim Hinsch]

"the bottom line "Who give's a s.it"

You must, since you keep asking. The original post wanted to know the differernce between Casa Marina Beach and Casa Marina Reef. Overall, it the difference is just a description as to which side of the resort you will be staying on and you can treat the place as one big resort, since aside from having separate buffet areas (and check-in desk), all facilities are common.

 

[RickW]

I realize this is after the fact, but I just returned from The Reef myself last week and had stayed at "Beach" just this May....Yes you are permitted to use both, but in my opinion, the Buffet Resturant at he Reef is a WAY better set up and the Reef pool is definately the place to be during the day...Hell, when I was at Casa Marina Beach, I didn't even realize that they had shows going on at the Reef Ampitheatre !!

 

[Eddy]

Thanks for the information. I was told by others that people from the Beach were NOT allowed to eat at the Reef. I guess that settles it.

 

[Eddy]

From the latest source, the Reef has nicer rooms but the food at the Beach is better. I have been told that the guest can go back & forth.