Hyatt Dreams Flora Resort & Spa Cabeza de Toro, Punta Cana Review

[keepcoming]

When my son, nieces and nephews were younger taking them to a resort in Punta Cana was a treat for them. A couple of days swimming, eating what they want, etc... Didn't take much effort, meaning not having to walk around an amusement park, etc... IMO Punta Cana is great for those that do not want to put a lot of effort into vacation planning. The biggest decisions they make are pool or beach, buffet or restaurant. I think your experience will be guided by the type of resort you choose. Now a days we do not really go to the resorts, however, I will make an exception for Tortuga Bay Resort, Secrets Cap Cana, Sanctuary Cap Cana, possibly Live Aqua and Finest (Excellence Adult side). These are the resorts that I would/have visited. But as JD posted, now that I am getting older being around a lot of people like that isn't my thing anymore. Hyatt Dreams Flora doesn't look bad at all though. Being the old Natura Park Resort, they did a nice remodel/refurbishment.

 

[aarhus]

I absolutely love to walk the city, the malecon, park, Anacaona Ave. and yes I wear shorts. Even at blue mall. Crossing streets is down right dangerous, however If you are familiar with the long stretchs it is a good workout. Afterwards I cool.off.in the pool. Try it.

It just never seemed natural to me to walk around in shorts in Santo Domingo. For a while I walked Av Sarasota to my office on the corner Sarasota and Lincoln while I still had the office in 2019-2020 and no car anymore. Crossing Churchill was hard. I have also walked often in the Colonial Zone. And around 2005-6 I lived in Gazcue and walked there before I bought a car.

 

[SKY]

It just never seemed natural to me to walk around in shorts in Santo Domingo. For a while I walked Av Sarasota to my office on the corner Sarasota and Lincoln while I still had the office in 2019-2020 and no car anymore. Crossing Churchill was hard. I have also walked often in the Colonial Zone. And around 2005-6 I lived in Gazcue and walked there before I bought a car.

Remember one night when you were walking late at night in SD about 15 or more years ago. I do. LOL...............

 

[aarhus]

Remember one night when you were walking late at night in SD about 15 or more years ago. I do. LOL...............

I think it was Gazcue not Zona Colonial. A bit before arriving at a restaurant called El Senorial. Two of us. Me and another tourist. Not sure if I really lost much. Just some cash I think. A motoconcho drove up to us. Is that what you mean ? Apart from that I prefer to decide myself when to share my stories Sky. I don’t think I was making the claim that SD was safer than Punta Cana. And I was really wondering about SD being good for walking. Crime is one issue. But I was now referring to the traffic and the heat. That’s it’s just not a walking city in many parts. Do you have more to add Sky ?

 

[aarhus]

Sky. With crime I don’t think there is more crime in Santo Domingo than Punta Cana. As Maria mentions there are 4 million people living in SD. There are also parts of Bavaro-Punta Cana where it’s dangerous. Now I haven’t been there over 10 years apart from the airport and Four Points but it has grown and probably is not safer from it. I don’t ever remember it as very walkable either.

 

[SKY]

Does lack of employment lead to crime?


It has been theorized that unemployment tends to propel persons into crime to enable them to survive economically, and also that unemployment tends to increase the unemployed that is related to criminal behavior.

In Punta Cana ANY Dominican with little or no education can easily get a job here. The large AI's always are understaffed and looking to hire people for regular positions. In SD with 4 million people you cannot EVER make that statement. People resort to crime when there is no legal means to feed their family.

You simply do not hear or see ANY street crime here. PERIOD..............

 

[NanSanPedro]

Does lack of employment lead to crime?


It has been theorized that unemployment tends to propel persons into crime to enable them to survive economically, and also that unemployment tends to increase the unemployed that is related to criminal behavior.

In Punta Cana ANY Dominican with little or no education can easily get a job here. The large AI's always are understaffed and looking to hire people for regular positions. In SD with 4 million people you cannot EVER make that statement. People resort to crime when there is no legal means to feed their family.

You simply do not hear or see ANY street crime here. PERIOD..............

Now, if they would just hire Haitians...

 

[SKY]

Now, if they would just hire Haitians...

Many hotels do. But yes there is some prejudice as you well know...........

 

[NanSanPedro]

Many hotels do. But yes there is some prejudice as you well know...........

Yea but how do they get around the cedula requirement?

 

[SKY]

Yea but how do they get around the cedula requirement?

Is that the same requirement that you cannot drive here after 90 days? Or if you "overstay" you can't come back......................How do those two work?...........

 

[NanSanPedro]

Is that the same requirement that you cannot drive here after 90 days? Or if you "overstay" you can't come back......................How do those two work?...........

I understand but those that you mentioned you just do and no one ever bothers you. But for a job, it takes 2 to tango. The company has to say yea, you start Monday.

 

[SKY]

I understand but those that you mentioned you just do and no one ever bothers you. But for a job, it takes 2 to tango. The company has to say yea, you start Monday.

And ALL the company's obey ALL the rules here?.................You believe that you have not done much business here...................That is all I can or will say here. Carry on...........

 

[NanSanPedro]

And ALL the company's obey ALL the rules here?.................You believe that you have not done much business here...................That is all I can or will say here. Carry on...........

Thanks Sky! You're giving me an idea.

 

[aarhus]

And ALL the company's obey ALL the rules here?.................You believe that you have not done much business here...................That is all I can or will say here. Carry on...........

Rules are made to broken. Isn’t there a saying something like that Sky ?

 

[SKY]

Rules are made to broken. Isn’t there a saying something like that Sky ?

That rule goes Double here................

 

[aarhus]

That rule goes Double here................

I think it has improved the last 15-20 years. Things do evolve a little Sky.

 

[XQT]

That rule goes Double here................

The government looks at tax revenues and profit margins.
The way of lest resistance.

Foreign A.I. owners are calculating operating costs and profit margins.
They gladly would employ slave labourers at a lower cost if gob.do lets them.

The government welcomes overstayers as they have money and spend it.
Insurance companies will take insurance money and adjust claims as they see fit.
For those with Dominican spouses it is easy to buy a vehicle in the spouses name, insure it with the spouse if they have a licence,
Or insure it in the foreigners name with his licence and drive.......see what happens.

Haitians are generally cheap labour for the DR, if the Dr desires this, they bring no money.

It is no as if all laws/rules are enforced in your country.
It depends on what people can get away with and what the chances to be caught are.......efficiency of the judiciary.
Depending which country you choose to live in.

Simple human psychology, modus operandi.
Humans have not changed in the millennia.

Sadly even the religious do not obey the commandments of their deity or government in many cases.

Take what you can get, sometimes by force.

As NAL's stated.
There are many laws and when they choose to apply them, there is nothing you can do!
People get away with a lot in the DR, until they don't!

 

[JD Jones]

The government looks at tax revenues and profit margins.
The way of lest resistance.

Foreign A.I. owners are calculating operating costs and profit margins.
They gladly would employ slave labourers at a lower cost if gob.do lets them.

The government welcomes overstayers as they have money and spend it.
Insurance companies will take insurance money and adjust claims as they see fit.
For those with Dominican spouses it is easy to buy a vehicle in the spouses name, insure it with the spouse if they have a licence,
Or insure it in the foreigners name with his licence and drive.......see what happens.

Haitians are generally cheap labour for the DR, if the Dr desires this, they bring no money.

It is no as if all laws/rules are enforced in your country.
It depends on what people can get away with and what the chances to be caught are.......efficiency of the judiciary.
Depending which country you choose to live in.

Simple human psychology, modus operandi.
Humans have not changed in the millennia.

Sadly even the religious do not obey the commandments of their deity or government in many cases.

Take what you can get, sometimes by force.

As NAL's stated.
There are many laws and when they choose to apply them, there is nothing you can do!
People get away with a lot in the DR, until they don't!

What does any of that have to do with the hotel review??

 

[Big]

I wonder what the body mass index is for the average AI guest as opposed to the boutique hotel guest. There must be thesis on this somewhere.

 

[keepcoming]

I wonder what the body mass index is for the average AI guest as opposed to the boutique hotel guest. There must be thesis on this somewhere.

Your complaints about AI's always seem to focus on "guests social/physical makeup". Which if you have/will ever visit an AI, it may surprise you that not everyone is there for food/drinks. Not everyone is of a "body mass index" which you disapprove of. Actually, it is quite the opposite. If you ask people why they come to Punta Cana (resort), the answer 99% of the time will be "for the beach/sun". You would be hard-pressed to find someone who says for the food/drinks. I have been to many of the resorts in Punta Cana over the years and never have I encountered anything close to what you perceive as the behavior or guest makeup at a resort. There are party resorts, and yes, the behavior can be a bit suspect. But again, the resort is known as a party resort so you know what you will experience. Travelers are quite savvy now a days, they put in quite a bit of research in choosing the resort that most meets what they are looking for. None if any say "it's got food/drinks, let's go". As always choosing the "right" resort is key. Like I said AI's are not for everyone but it is a far cry from what you (some others) seem to think/portray it to be.