Info on Casa Marina Resorts

[Mark]

Looking for info on Casa Marina Beach or Reef resort. Cost is less than other properties in area so are these places fine? Any information on rooms, pools, beach's, dinning would be appreciated.

 

[Jim Hinsch]

Click on the address below to read about my experience there last year. I also visited the resort a few weeks ago.

Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM

 

[Milli]

I stayed at the Casa Marina Reef May of 99. This property is a 3star but it is only 4years old. The pool area is nice and well layed out. The beach area is beautiful. I just recently came back Oct of 99 and stayed in Puerto Plata. The beach area is 100 times nicer in Sosua then Puerto Plata Playa Dorada beach area. As for dining...you have a choice and variety. Both the Beach resort and Reef resort have their own buffet restaurant. Lunch time you have the choice of eating at the buffet or the Jalapeno restaurant which serves quick lunches. Hotdogs, Hamburgers, Sandwiches, French fries and yummy deserts. For dinner....have to make reservations at towel service. Choice of the Japaleno restaurant which serves Mexican food. Italian restaurant that serves italian pastas and the SeaScape restaurant which serves steaks and seafood at an additional cost. At all of these restaurants there is a menu and you choose your meal. Any other questions you may have you may contact myself.

 

[trina]

Personally, I loved the Casa Marina. I could not disagree more with Jim Hinsch's review on the service. We received incredibly excellent service. The staff were wonderful. Free pour on the unlimited free drinks. It was one of the best vacations I have ever had. The restaurants on-site were excellent, with the exception of the Bufferina, which is where you must eat if you forgot to make a reservation with one of the evening restaurants. But you cannot expect much from a Buffet, right? If you read Jim's whole review, you may read between the lines as to why he didn't have such a good experience. E-mail me if you need more info. PS Loved Casa Marina so much, are going back to stay for the millenium for 2 weeks!!! trinal@telusplanet.net

 

[Jim Hinsch]

My report summary states Casa Marina is a beautiful and massive resort with an excellent location on a nice beach, bad food, bad bars, and poor service at a reasonable price, and that I give it a fair to good rating. It is after all a somewhat budget property for an all-inclusive (the top resorts around the island are 40-80% more expensive).

Are you American? For reasons I can only speculate, the Europeans and Canadians seem to always rave about resorts that I never would, while the American tourists I have spoken with tend to agree with me. We seem to have different standards. I have in fact visted many places in the DR that do get my stamp of high ratings, but Casa Marina isn't one of them. I guess it depends on what you are used to. I have made about 75 trips to the DR over the past 5 years, all of it vacation, and have stayed in everything from the top all-inclusives to the most run down shack of a motel. Regardless, I do consider Casa Marina (Beach and Reef) to be a fair overall value.

Some of the comments I received by E-mail about my review from other people that have stayed at the Casa Marina resort (E-mail them directly if you want to hear their opinions):

Steve Simpson - Steve.Simpson@btinternet.com

I have just returned from the above mentioned hotel in Sosua and I have just finished reading your report on the hotel. I can say you are 100% spot on with your observations. We found the food and service very bad quality indeed. Although we had a very good holiday. Keep up the good reporting and site surveys for us holidaymakers. Thanks, Steve Simpson.

Cheryl & Danial Brown - Daniel.cheryl@codetel.net.do

You get what you pay for and Casa Marina is CHEAP. Regards, C. Brown.

ANNIEnMN@AOL.COM

We just returned from Casa Marina. I had to chuckle at your comments because we left that resort thinking we were the ONLY ones to feel that way about it. ? The food was awful. ? I left thinking we must have missed something because other guests were RAVING about it. My husband and I just shrugged our shoulders thinking we must have been in the wrong area or just missed something big time. I guess I was glad to read your report cuz all the others I read prior to going down there just RAVED about how wonderful of a place this was, whereas I agreed with all of your comments?my husband and some even thought less of it! Happy traveling and thanks for your honesty in Debbie?s page??. Annie in Minnesota

Jim Hinsch JimHinsch@CSI.COM

 

[Christelle]

Been to Casa Marina twice in 3 months this year and just loved it. Staff is very friendly and service is excellent. Food is great, beach is beautiful. Have a good time.

 

[Jacques]

Casa marina beach is a nice resort, food is good,never got sick,meet peoples all around(germen, dutch,french) the beach is ok I prefer the local beach about 10 min walk, the scenery is beautiful.Next door is the casa marina reef resort they have a nicer pool you have the facilities to shared of that resort ( pool and bars).Sosua is the perfect place to have fun best disco all around and it is safe. If you want to go to a nicer beach and lay down all day at the beach and go to bed at 11hrs and you want to eat the best food go to Punta cana with all the old peoples and talking about food, food,food and food.If you want to have fun, dancing and meet people(tourist or local)Sosua is the place.If you like to eat,lay down,and go to bed early Punta Cana is the place.

 

[rob]

Jim

Is it "possible" that other people may have a dissenting opinion? I realize you attempt to qualify your statements, but you are remarkeably arrogant in your apparent assumption that your "reviews" are the very best available

Rob

 

[rob]

EMAIL

This is my correct email. Since I physically moved, Compuserve apparently has used their merger with AOL to share portals and email is very odd. Even though this is a CServe account, it appears as an AOL ISP for that reason

Rob