Review of the Coral Canoa Beach Hotel and Spa
Bayahibe, La Romana
Dominican Republic
I hope all that read this review, helps with information leading up you're your stay at this resort.
Our vacation was booked through Signature Vacations from Feb 12th to 19th. We where to stay at the Coral Hammica Hotel in Boca Chica. This was our first choice due to the Airport was only a 10 minute bus ride from Santo Domingo to our resort. But we where called on Feb 11th by Signature saying the Hammica was over booked by 100 couples and that we would be moving to
the Coral Canoa in Bayahibe. Well as you can imagine this cause some concerns because we had no idea on this new resort or where it was. After a short search on the Internet we found the Hotels web site and made our decision to go. The following is what we thought was a wonderful vacation.
Our airline Royal Air flew us into Santo Domingo Las America's international airport. We arrived at midnight on Saturday the 12th. After a short line at customs (tourist visa required here) we where off to collect our baggage. Very different type airport, smoking permitted anywhere there was an ashtray
(thank god). Rumors of the Dominican baggage handlers are all true. They where just waiting for us, but with a $2.00 tip they took our luggage to our waiting bus and our Signature rep. Make sure your luggage gets on the correct bus to your resort, ours almost didn't. Before getting on the bus our first welcome drink was offered Rum and fruit juice?mmmmm was good. I think they where preparing us for the long and wild trip ahead. We had a
great bus, coach style with air, but no wash rooms so be warned.
We spent 2 hours on the road to the Canoa Hotel in Bayahibe, the road where not that bad, and the driver was very good. When we got to our hotel it was getting very late and we where tired of all the traveling, but the wait was well worth the resort. We where greeted by a very friendly staff and they looked after unloading and getting our bags to our rooms. Tipping is not
required here, but $5.00 to the bellhop didn't hurt. The hotel lobby is an open-air design with no windows. This was very nice due to a constant breeze blows through the resort all the time. The rooms are all in apartment style 3 floor units numbering 1 to 12. All front units offer a great view of the huge pool and beachfront. From our unit #6 second floor, we had a beautiful
balcony and view of the pool and beach with the Caribbean Sea in the back. The water used on the resort is very safe for bathing and cooking in, but do not drink the water from the taps. They will provide bottled water every day in your room. The maid service is very good and rooms are made up by 5 PM
each day. Linen is only changed every three days unless you request a change. Some rooms have double bed and others have Kings, try to get what you want at check in, make it easier for all.
Expect a lot of walking between your building and the main lobby or one of the four restaurants on the grounds. The main restaurant is the buffet style, very good for all meals with a changing menu every day and no reservations required. The second is the snack bar located in the Mexican restaurant next to the pool. You can get hamburgers, hot dogs and fries 24
hours per day. Also the restaurant takes reservations for supper dinning .The third restaurant is Italian and reservations are required here for supper. The fourth restaurant is a sea food restaurant, but prices are not included with the resort package. Reservations required and meal cost is $25.00 per person for the house special. During the day this restaurant offers pizza and pasta for snacks. Bars are located in all of the above, but
service is very slow. Your best bet is to ask for the Special of the day, serviced all over the resort. Normally a rum and fruit type drinks. If you are a beer drinker President is the national beer and is not bad.
As for actives, this resort has it all, we tried as many as we could and enjoyed them all. Our favorite was sailing, scuba diving and snorkeling. But if you're into just lying on the beach or by the pool they have lots of area to do that too. Some people got up early in the morning to lay there towels
out to reserve the lounge chairs, but we found there was always a lot to go around. At night time the resort had a huge open air theatre with shows put on every night by the animators and the heard about chocolate friends, plan on taking these in you should enjoy them. Our vacation package offered a
few side trips, the ones we took where too Sonia Island by Dolphin high speed power boats and return by a 43 foot catamaran Lots of rum drinking, great snorkeling and beautiful beaches (highly recommended). We also took a trip to the city of Santo Domingo (2 hours back, and 2 hours return) for a historical tour of Christopher Columbus tomb, his Family home, Churches, National aquarium and an under ground cave system.
Afterwards the tour guide takes you shopping downtown (not recommended) very busy with street vendors selling everything from necklaces to masks?be warned, never pay the asking price bargain bargain bargain.
Most of our week was spent walking the resort, or watching the activities around the pool. If your into walking, the beach is a great place to be, not far to the west, just off the resort is a few local Dominicans selling paintings and doing hair braiding, if the ladies are thinking of having this done, this is a good spot, cost is $40.00 US and is half the price of having it done at the Spa on the resort.
If you're a beach person and love to tan, beware that the sun is very strong and you will burn fast. A few of the women went topless but was very natural in this setting.
I hope this information I have provide helps, we really enjoyed our stay and would return to this resort again. They only draw back was the long bus ride to and from the Airport in Santo Domingo.
If we can help more. Please email us at
cfv@tenaquip.com
