Info on Hacienda Tropical Resort, Cofresi

[scotgirl]

Hi everyone, Im booked to go to above mentioned resort in Aug but received a letter today saying a few things have changed since i booked. I have also heard (via this website)quite a lot of bad stuff about the resort, the beach etc and was wondering if anyone who has been recently could clear a few things up for me...
- letter says now no ceiling fans in rooms but doesnt mention air con. anyone stayed here and know if room had air con?
- also states the gym is no longer available
- 2 of the pools are only for activities and 1 for relaxation - which one? is it tiny or decent sized?
- what is the food like? letter only mentions speciality restaurants, i take it there is still a buffet as well?
- what is the beach like? iv heard compared to other beaches in DR its not that good.
- i read on this site that the nightlife here isnt great, anyone experienced it?

I'm thinking about speaking to travel agent to have resort changed as it seems to not offer everything which we have paid for when made the booking,esp the gym. Asking you guys as opposed to them as i dont trust them to give me an honest answer, they want a sale after all!

Thanks in advance!

 

[la flor]

I went to the Hacienda tropicale twice last summer, in july and august. that was my first trip to the DR. I read horrible reviews as well after I booked the trip, but decided to go anyway... to my suprise, I really enjoyed it! There is air conditioning in the rooms, and they are aslo clean. the gym was small, and if I remember correctly(I did not use the gym) it was outdoors with a covering roof over the top of it. The beach isnt the greatest, it is small, and the sand is not powder white. but good enough to relax and enjoy the sun! the pools are nice, one big with the swim up bar, the play loud music, and the other pool is small and quite.the food was fine, one buffet, a dominican resturant(good) a seafood resturant, the blue marlin(even better), a chinese and italian resturant also. the is a disco that gets going about 11pm which is on the property and some animation shows about 9pm, and thats all there is to do there at nite. I went on 2 excursions, one was a horseback riding trip- it is 3-4 hrs. it was excellent, and the other trip was snorkeling to a little island off of Monte Cristi- a fabulous trip! I would highly recommend them both. I hope you did not pay alot thru your travel agency, because when I went last year, this hotel cost only 42.oo U.S.!all inclusive. very cheap.

 

[Shelley]

it's only ok

I stayed at Hacienda Garden just last month. It shares the Tropical ammenities but is higher up on the hill. Quite frankly, of the four resorts I have stayed in the DR this was my least favorite. To answer your questions:
- The rooms weren't too bad and the one we were in had both air con & a ceiling fan.
- The gym was open but no one ever used it. It is covered and outside.
- The pools are nice but not enough room or chairs to go around for everyone. The relaxation pool is very quiet and beautiful. No one went there as it was out of the way and no bar close by. If you don't mind walking to gets drinks, it's very nice to go for a quiet afternoon.
- The food was not very good. It seemed they served the same thing every day. As I said, this was my 4th trip, so I am getting used to DR food and like it very much but not there. Considering plantains are such a staple in the DR, you'd think they would make it in more than one way and not so dry. Also, if you didn't book a specialty restaurant by 8:30 or 9am, they were full. The only one we managed to get into was the sushi bar (which was surprisingly good compared to the buffet).
- The beach is ok. It's not the best but ok. If you want snorkelling, it's better you take an excursion somewhere else. What I did like is that they have lots of chairs by the beach.
- There is no night life there and because you're out of town, you'd have to take a taxi in. They do have shows each night but after the show, you just sit at the bar talking to the other tourists. There is a disco on site but we did not go there. I can't imagine too many locals go there.

If you got a really good deal and can not afford to upgrade, this resort is fine. I would stay there again only if the price was considerably less than other resorts. But, that's just my opinion. Wherever you stay, you'll have a great time in the DR!

 

[scotgirl]

oh dear doesnt sound very good does it. Think I will definately try and change resort. night life is quite important to us, and a decent gym would be nice. probably only go once in my life so would be a shame if i was disappointed. thanks for the honest answers! so any recommendations on resorts if i can change?

 

[canajungirl]

you can also get some other opinions on resorts on the North Coast by visiting www.debbiesdominicantravel.com People are always coming and going to different resorts all over the DR and posting their reviews of their trips.I stayed at the Tropical a few years back and found it to be very boring.