For beach lovers, it may be time to seek out a new island!

[reilleyp]

What Playa Grande 'restructuring'?
A beach spoiled by those who think they know what is better for everyone else.

Besides that is just one beach (well include Sosua) that is two currently under actual renovation.
The list included 25 beaches.
And the ones I listed in post #6 are fine just like they are.

Interesting that we got people who don't even seem to goto the beach commenting on "beach improvements" based on what they heard. My opinions have been formed by what I have actually seen going to the beaches in the 🇩🇴 I have listed in post #6.

Keyboard warriors

The restructuring will be a big improvement. They are already about 50% complete. Previously there was a shack that served food. It was a filthy run down place that I was afraid to eat in. The bathrooms for the men was nothing more than a concrete trough with no privacy. The smell was horrible. In the past they allowed cars to drive up and down the beach. On the holidays everyone had their music at 200db as they drove up and down.
The are constructing a much nicer place for the food and souvenir vendors. It will be back away from the water, which will open up more of the beach. They have installed sewer lines for the new bathrooms and a treatment plant so the sewage will no longer go into the sand/ocean. Visitors will now have to use the parking lot that they built, and traffic will not be allowed on the beach. In the end, it will be cleaner, more quiet, better views, more usable beach to enjoy and no traffic while you are at Bar Raquel and Casa Blanca. They are doing a good job keeping the beach clean also. If you walk down the beach, you will find Cocofabuloso which has an Italian chef and some great food, service and views of the ocean. I think the restructuring was a great idea.

 

[Yourmaninvegas]

The restructuring will be a big improvement. They are already about 50% complete. Previously there was a shack that served food. It was a filthy run down place that I was afraid to eat in. The bathrooms for the men was nothing more than a concrete trough with no privacy. The smell was horrible. In the past they allowed cars to drive up and down the beach. On the holidays everyone had their music at 200db as they drove up and down.
The are constructing a much nicer place for the food and souvenir vendors. It will be back away from the water, which will open up more of the beach. They have installed sewer lines for the new bathrooms and a treatment plant so the sewage will no longer go into the sand/ocean. Visitors will now have to use the parking lot that they built, and traffic will not be allowed on the beach. In the end, it will be cleaner, more quiet, better views, more usable beach to enjoy and no traffic while you are at Bar Raquel and Casa Blanca. They are doing a good job keeping the beach clean also.

I will take your word for it. When I visited the construction was not complete. And it was my first visit so I have nothing to compare it with. Even with the everything you describe I do not feel the need to return. The views are good. But is simply is not my spot with it comes to the ambience.

If you walk down the beach, you will find Cocofabuloso which has an Italian chef and some great food, service and views of the ocean. I think the restructuring was a great idea.

I have walked down the beach Cocofabuloso is a private business I do believe. Has nothing to do with the DRGOV. But I agree with your assessment of the restaurant...but that is it. I wouldn't goto the beach just to goto that restaurant. I can take a vehicle along the street and go directly to it, get dropped off or park, if I have a desire to enjoy the food and ambience.

PIVOT...

But since we are talking beaches in Las Galeras. My favorite is Playita. It needs no improvement. I hope the DRGOV does not touch anything over there. They have nothing to add unless they are going to put in public bathrooms and a wash off area. That is it! If it gets busy it will need a new parking lot. But don't know where they will get the land for that.

So, I hope you and all the other beach goers keep loving up on Playa Grande and leave Playita alone ‼️

 

[johne]

I am familiar with the renovations that are happening right now in Guayacanes (two ares of the beach) that are part of the gov. plan on beaches. Quite honestly it looks to me to be a first rate "renovation" similar look as public beaches in the states. Prior to this renovation it was a long strip of grey ,run down structures that to me didn't serve any purpose other than being used by the occupants for their own personal use.
I, don't use this beach but I do go there once a week to the fish market and past by this are a couple times a week on the way to SD. The new units are very visiblefrom the main road to the capital.

 

[JD Jones]

They are tracking one old fat guy sitting in a thong under a palm tree on a secluded beach?

They have the ability to do it and access your data.

 

[Nadie21]

Macao, Las Galeras, Miches​

Agreed.

The only hope that my favorite beaches have is that they are located where transportation is not ideal.
So with the funds invested into real infrastructure (like roads) they will remain on the path less traveled.
On my favorite beaches, it would take a tourism explosion 10 times what is occurring right now to spoil them.
That is why I like them.
The one thing that is for sure is they can change where the informal vendors operate but 🇩🇴GOV will never get rid of them.
Just keep exploring...

Agreed

 

[ramesses]

They have the ability to do it and access your data.

Of course they do...enjoy the boredom and the view. I have made it my goal in life to make my life so mundane, I bore the government to death with my mediocrity.

 

[Nadie21]

Folks like that are easily recognizable and stand out like a sore thumb.

Thank goodness One person spoke up. That’s the elephant in the room in this country…Dominicans whisper their complaints. I doubt only one person had a problem with this staff person. The attitudes of so many dominican hotel staff are indeed Surly, Rude, And uncaring about “guest” experiences. Please stop making excuses for ignorant staff.

 

[Nadie21]

The restructuring will be a big improvement. They are already about 50% complete. Previously there was a shack that served food. It was a filthy run down place that I was afraid to eat in. The bathrooms for the men was nothing more than a concrete trough with no privacy. The smell was horrible. In the past they allowed cars to drive up and down the beach. On the holidays everyone had their music at 200db as they drove up and down.
The are constructing a much nicer place for the food and souvenir vendors. It will be back away from the water, which will open up more of the beach. They have installed sewer lines for the new bathrooms and a treatment plant so the sewage will no longer go into the sand/ocean. Visitors will now have to use the parking lot that they built, and traffic will not be allowed on the beach. In the end, it will be cleaner, more quiet, better views, more usable beach to enjoy and no traffic while you are at Bar Raquel and Casa Blanca. They are doing a good job keeping the beach clean also. If you walk down the beach, you will find Cocofabuloso which has an Italian chef and some great food, service and views of the ocean. I think the restructuring was a great idea.

They need to do the same good job in keeping the people who go to that beach clean also. It’s not the beach per se it’s those On the beach. N’est-ce Pas?

 

[Nadie21]

Gobierno ejecutará plan de reordenamiento para vendedores informales de 25 playas del país

Para su ejecución, se invertirán 3,000 millones de pesos en Macao, Guayacanes, Boca Chica, Las Galeras, Miches, Los Patos, Los Quemaditos, Saladillas, Palenque y varias playas de Puerto Plata

listindiario.com

If what the Gov't is apparently planning to do to Playa Sosua is what they mean by "renovating the beaches" I'm out

"Government will execute reorganization plan for informal vendors of 25 beaches in the country

For its execution, 3,000 million pesos will be invested in Macao, Guayacanes, Boca Chica, Las Galeras, Miches, Los Patos, Los Quemaditos, Saladillas, Palenque and several beaches in Puerto Plata."​

"Santo Domingo, DR
The President of the Republic, Luis Abinader, and the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, led the launching ceremony of the National Plan for the Reorganization, Regeneration, Training, and Financing for Associations and Informal Vendors on the beaches on Thursday night .
This initiative, which will have an investment of more than 3,000 million pesos, contemplates the renovation of some 25 beaches in the country , bringing training and financing for the benefit of hundreds of families that reside in these tourist areas.
According to a statement, during the activity, the president stated that raising tourism " has been a joint effort that has been worthwhile , thinking of the Dominican worker."
On his side, the Minister of Tourism, David Collado, said that as part of this plan, the small businesses that operate on the beaches to be intervened will receive the transformation of their spaces and training on the quality of their services, improving their economy and that of their families, with a vision of urban planning that will attract more tourists.
“And we started a program in which we are going to renovate 25 beaches and today we are in Macao, in Miches, Guayacanes I and II, Las Galeras, Los Patos , and we are going to Palenque, Puerto Plata and all the beaches in the country with a budget. of more than 3 billion pesos,” said the official.
The activity took place at the San Lázaro club in Santo Domingo, where thousands of tour guides, small business owners and representatives of associations from those coastal areas from all over the country participated.
According to the document, the event was also attended by the directors of the Professional Technical Institute (INFOTEP), Rafael Santos, and the National Council for the Promotion and Support of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (Promipyme), Porfirio Peralta."

Invest in boca chica? Only thing to help there now is get rid of the hookers

 

[Yourmaninvegas]

They need to do the same good job in keeping the people who go to that beach clean also. It’s not the beach per se it’s those On the beach. N’est-ce Pas?

I will say that while on Playa Grande I did not really see much behavior I would find objectionable. But the people and music were very loud. That is not my thing, unless I am the one DJing the beach party. But all you need to do is walk down the beach a bit for some peace and quiet. Of course then you are not close to all the amenities @reilleyp wrote about that are being improved.

 

[D'Arcy (Apostropheman)]

so one person has a problem with one member of staff ...and the victim goes on a crusade to destroy the business and put the rest of staff out of work.....this is revenge and maybe your friend was the culprit from the beginning

Spin baby, spin! LOL

Now at all what was posted nor what happened but if you want to be like that...that's on you!

 

[Yourmaninvegas]

Invest in boca chica? Only thing to help there now is get rid of the hookers

Can we please not make this into the "Why I hate Sosua South" thread?

 

[D'Arcy (Apostropheman)]

Folks like that are easily recognizable and stand out like a sore thumb.

Considering that you know nothing about it but the brief that I posted....(redacted for my own good)

Have a wonderful day and thanks for letting me know your thoughts!

 

[D'Arcy (Apostropheman)]

Sounds like good strategy to me.
I hope the owners learned their lesson.
I taught a friend of mine how to use the power of email to contact individuals in the corporate structure after a business here in 🇩🇴 refused to handle their business properly.
The owners of the franchise were quite surprised to receive contact from their corporate office with instructions to handle the client needs properly.

The customer is not always right. But neither are employees, managers and business owners.
When you are wrong, acknowledge it and fix the problem.
In the age of the internet you better recognize.

It IS a good, viable and effective strategy. Bullies and uncaring, incompetent, poor managers and owners need to be taken to task. The internet just makes it easier and more accessible.

I bet that most of the naysayers here are in favour of "cancel culture" and removing statues

I'm in favour of accountability and honesty, in this case in business.

 

[D'Arcy (Apostropheman)]

As I stated before, the Playa Grande 'restructuring' was not liked by the vendors initially, but (by their own admission) turned out to be to their advantage

You'll forgive me for not just blindly taking someone's word.

Even if true, it would be one small example and not indicative of anything in and of itself, nor of what's apparently proposed for Sosua and the other beaches mentioned.

 

[Yourmaninvegas]

I'm in favour of accountability and honesty, in this case in business.

That is right ‼️
If you are going to be a business owner.
Handle your business.

Getting good customer service in the 🇩🇴 is so rare that when it happens I tell all my friends about it.

 

[D'Arcy (Apostropheman)]

Once upon a time a friend stayed in a hotel/smaller AI, and had a horrible experience with a staff member. Went to the management...no joy, got hold of the owners...no joy. No one cared. So they methodically went on ALL of the review and booking sites they could find and complained. Then all the FB groups and pages and complained and told their story. And so on, and so forth on a wide variety of groups and review sites until.... Eventually, the owners were BEGGING them to stop. They fired the staff, which was verified, were offered upgrades and comps if they would return, etc...

There is power on the internet that even 1 person can leverage and get satisfaction.

Before everyone exhausts themselves arguing about this I did not say it happened in the DR

While it certainly could have, it's not relevant to the point about bad business and how even a single person can affect change

 

[william webster]

What Playa Grande 'restructuring'?
A beach spoiled by those who think they know what is better for everyone else.

Besides that is just one beach (well include Sosua) that is two currently under actual renovation.
The list included 25 beaches.
And the ones I listed in post #6 are fine just like they are.

Interesting that we got people who don't even seem to goto the beach commenting on "beach improvements" based on what they heard. My opinions have been formed by what I have actually seen going to the beaches in the 🇩🇴 I have listed in post #6.

Keyboard warriors

Not current - this happened years ago and has performed very well ever since

Many moons ago Kemosabe......

I cannot speak to anything currently under restructure..... not familiar with, nor do I care

The beaches in my area seem to be well managed and are not seedy
I have never seen Sosua beach... and most likely never will

 

[Big]

so one person has a problem with one member of staff ...and the victim goes on a crusade to destroy the business and put the rest of staff out of work.....this is revenge and maybe your friend was the culprit from the beginning

sounds like a complete loser. When reading reviews, it is easy to tell when the customer is the problem

 

[Big]

Thank goodness One person spoke up. That’s the elephant in the room in this country…Dominicans whisper their complaints. I doubt only one person had a problem with this staff person. The attitudes of so many dominican hotel staff are indeed Surly, Rude, And uncaring about “guest” experiences. Please stop making excuses for ignorant staff.

I stay at hotels and use meeting facilities in Santo Domingo and hotels all over the island (not AI's). I almost never encounter problems. More often than not it's the inexperienced traveler thinking he is going to get complimentary caviar and turn down service with a chocolate on the pillow at a 40 dollar a night hotel.