Punta Cana Adult All-Inclusive Hotels

[melphis]

Look up Playa Turquesa in Bavaro. It's a condo complex on the beach with tons of rentals. You could probably get a 1 bedroom in your price range.
It is surrounded by good restaurants.
Or try Playa Palmera in Uvero Alto. 2 minute walk to the beach on a private road and 4 or 5 restaurants on site.

 

[SKY]

These are NOT timeshares. They are all Vacation Clubs. You pay (or get robbed for a better term) for weeks at a discount. You cannot go into a hotel and request this. Maybe you can find someone that has one and use it for a price. What Playa said is useless. As is anyone falling for this scam.................

 

[SKY]

You want to save money go here. Newer hotel right on the beach. All Inclusive. Check these prices......

whala!bávaro | HM Hotels - Web oficial

whala!bávaro 4* es un resort vacacional de Punta Cana, situado a solo unos metros de Playa Bávaro, con amplias zonas ajardinadas y terrazas con piscina.

www.whalabavaro.com

 

[playacaribe2]

These are NOT timeshares. They are all Vacation Clubs. You pay (or get robbed for a better term) for weeks at a discount. You cannot go into a hotel and request this. Maybe you can find someone that has one and use it for a price. What Playa said is useless. As is anyone falling for this scam.................

To be clear, you are not buying anything. You are renting some starry eyed tourists mistake.......who actually bought the timeshare and now does not want it and has likely put it up for sale as well as into the hotel rental pool.

You rent the timeshare from the hotel or other rental platform for the period you desire, with or without the AI option.

It is not a scam. I have known several people who have used this option at the Melia.

Any number of the other hotels in PC also offer them.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[SKY]

To be clear, you are not buying anything. You are renting some starry eyed tourists mistake.......who actually bought the timeshare and now does not want it and has likely put it up for sale as well as into the hotel rental pool.

You rent the timeshare from the hotel or other rental platform for the period you desire, with or without the AI option.

It is not a scam. I have known several people who have used this option at the Melia.

Any number of the other hotels in PC also offer them.


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

So give him a link to get this. He cannot run around to hotels looking for rentals..........LINK.........

 

[playacaribe2]

So give him a link to get this. He cannot run around to hotels looking for rentals..........LINK.........

He does not have to. He can call the hotel he is interested in directly or.................

Here are a couple of links, but there are literally dozens of other links;

Timeshares for Rent | Search Timeshare Classifieds

Search Thousands of active Timeshare Rentals. Industry Leading Online Marketplace for owners to Sell or Rent a Timeshare!

tug2.com

Melia Timeshare Resales and Rentals | Search Properties

Melia timeshares available at blowout prices. Browse our vast selection of Melia timeshare resales and Melia timeshare rentals.

www.sellmytimesharenow.com

Respectfully,
Playacaribe2

 

[melphis]

You want to save money go here. Newer hotel right on the beach. All Inclusive. Check these prices......

whala!bávaro | HM Hotels - Web oficial

whala!bávaro 4* es un resort vacacional de Punta Cana, situado a solo unos metros de Playa Bávaro, con amplias zonas ajardinadas y terrazas con piscina.

www.whalabavaro.com

I don't know if you have ever been there but it is a really low class dump. It's been there for years but had a reno a few years ago. It does have a really nice roof top pool and is in a great spot but that's all it has.

 

[MarkDR]

Thanks folks for your suggestions above. I just saw them today (wasn't given an e-mail notice).
Melphis' suggestion above (Playa Turquesa in Bavaro) had rooms starting at $3,780 US,
3-bedroom (nothing smaller) which are more expensive than what I am looking at AI.

The other options, while they look attractive in terms of price, don't give a clear picture of what
I'd be getting and where I will be able to find food and other amenities.
In other words, for a first-time use it's a scary proposition to get into.

Perhaps if I'm down there at an AI and I have time to rent a car and check out these other options
I'd have a much better idea of what I can expect with them.

 

[MarkDR]

Folks I have a few questions about prices/rates.

Here's what it comes down to. When you make a booking at an external hotel booking site
and get an e-mail confirmation for the price, they say you don't have to make any pre-payments,
you will pay at the site when you arrive.

1. Is the price locked in that you made at time of reservation?
I know that when I visit the booking sites the prices fluctuate daily, sometimes by large amounts
for the same dates/room type.
2. If it is locked in, can the hotel still play around with the price?
Specifically. Let's say the price was $4,000 CAD total, taxes included (which has a corresponding currency conversion into $US /pesos at the day of purchase).
Can the hotel take my reservation for the number of days and:
a) change the price to a new rate they are charging on the day I check in?
b) take my price ($4,000 CAD) and convert it to $US / pesos at their rate when I check in rather than the rate from the day I reserved?

In addition, due to the inflexibility of the booking site, I had to book the entire stay at a 2 adult rate, despite there being
only 1 adult the first and last night of the stay. Each party throws me back to the other (hotel/booking company) and neither
wants to budge on it.

 

[AlaPlaya]

Thanks folks for your suggestions above. I just saw them today (wasn't given an e-mail notice).
Melphis' suggestion above (Playa Turquesa in Bavaro) had rooms starting at $3,780 US,
3-bedroom (nothing smaller) which are more expensive than what I am looking at AI.

The other options, while they look attractive in terms of price, don't give a clear picture of what
I'd be getting and where I will be able to find food and other amenities.
In other words, for a first-time use it's a scary proposition to get into.

Perhaps if I'm down there at an AI and I have time to rent a car and check out these other options
I'd have a much better idea of what I can expect with them.

There is a grocery store right across the street from the Playa Turquesa complex, and approximately 12 restaurants within a 4 minute walk. I think the price is probably so high because of whatever your dates are. Normally you can find very reasonably priced apartments.

 

[SKY]

Quote:
Perhaps if I'm down there at an AI and I have time to rent a car and check out these other options
I'd have a much better idea of what I can expect with them.

That would not really be an easy option. The AI's all have security gates and some may let in with no reservation, but most will not. Calling the hotels directly would be a better option..........

 

[AlaPlaya]

Folks I have a few questions about prices/rates.

Here's what it comes down to. When you make a booking at an external hotel booking site
and get an e-mail confirmation for the price, they say you don't have to make any pre-payments,
you will pay at the site when you arrive.

1. Is the price locked in that you made at time of reservation?
I know that when I visit the booking sites the prices fluctuate daily, sometimes by large amounts
for the same dates/room type.
2. If it is locked in, can the hotel still play around with the price?
Specifically. Let's say the price was $4,000 CAD total, taxes included (which has a corresponding currency conversion into $US /pesos at the day of purchase).
Can the hotel take my reservation for the number of days and:
a) change the price to a new rate they are charging on the day I check in?
b) take my price ($4,000 CAD) and convert it to $US / pesos at their rate when I check in rather than the rate from the day I reserved?

In addition, due to the inflexibility of the booking site, I had to book the entire stay at a 2 adult rate, despite there being
only 1 adult the first and last night of the stay. Each party throws me back to the other (hotel/booking company) and neither
wants to budge on it.

1. You pay whatever the rate is at the time you book when you are at the property. So yes, the price is locked in (i.e. if you book it for $1,000 USD, that's the price). But until you book, the price will fluctuate based on availability, dates, algorithms, etc.

2. In my experience, you pay on check-out from the hotel. And I think all of the AIs I've stayed at have charged me in pesos, with what I assume is the current/close to current exchange rate on that day. (The calculation for 54.5 pesos to 1 USD jumps out in my head, but I don't remember if I've ever checked the rate on the date I checked out to verify exactly what it was).

 

[MarkDR]

1. You pay whatever the rate is at the time you book when you are at the property. So yes, the price is locked in (i.e. if you book it for $1,000 USD, that's the price). But until you book, the price will fluctuate based on availability, dates, algorithms, etc.

2. In my experience, you pay on check-out from the hotel. And I think all of the AIs I've stayed at have charged me in pesos, with what I assume is the current/close to current exchange rate on that day. (The calculation for 54.5 pesos to 1 USD jumps out in my head, but I don't remember if I've ever checked the rate on the date I checked out to verify exactly what it was).

OK thanks AlPlaya that's helpful!
So if I understand correctly, upon check-out, they will get my booked rate in $ (my case $CAD) and convert that to pesos for the rate that day,
and charge that in pesos?
That would make sense to me.

 

[MarkDR]

You want to save money go here. Newer hotel right on the beach. All Inclusive. Check these prices......

whala!bávaro | HM Hotels - Web oficial

whala!bávaro 4* es un resort vacacional de Punta Cana, situado a solo unos metros de Playa Bávaro, con amplias zonas ajardinadas y terrazas con piscina.

www.whalabavaro.com

Well now I'm a bit confused SKY. I went back to this site you recommended. (They sure have cool-looking photos, I know Melphis says it's a dump).
First their site says AI (all three meals) and everything looks great.
When I put in my dates, I get results with just bed and breakfast, gone is the AI. Crazy low rates.
So is it the luck of the draw whether you actually get AI?

Not sure how it could really be a dump if it's new?

 

[MariaRubia]

OK thanks AlPlaya that's helpful!
So if I understand correctly, upon check-out, they will get my booked rate in $ (my case $CAD) and convert that to pesos for the rate that day,
and charge that in pesos?
That would make sense to me.

No that's not correct. You will pay in full on check-in (ie when you arrive, not when you leave) at the rate quoted on the booking site. But, be careful, some hotels will say their rates don't include tax and in DR that means an extra 28%. So check the fine print on your reservation. d my b

Card payment machines only work in Dominican pesos in DR. So they will take the rate you were quoted and multiply that by the hotel's peso conversion rate (which will always be worse than a bank's rate) and then charge you in pesos. Your card company will then charge you again to convert that back into CAD. Just like if I went into a hotel in Canada and tried to pay with my Dominican credit card, they would charge me in CAD not pesos.

Regarding Whala! from what I've heard everything is basic, the food really isn't good, the rooms are not nice, it's always 100% full so there are lines for everything, hard to find a beach bed, hard to get a drink, drinks are watered down, need I go on? If you book B&B that's all you will get, you will get a different colour wrist-band and you'll have to pay for meals and drinks.

If you have detailed questions about a hotel, it's best just to email them. All these hotels have their own websites with a Contact Us button. For Whala it's whalabavaro.com and just click on the Contact Us link. You can ask them to quote you an AI rate for your dates. Note that hotels are allowed to sell cheaper rates than on the booking sites if you email or phone them, but they cannot publish cheaper rates. So you can often get a deal this way, for example if you email and say you've seen a rate of CAD$ 1000 on a booking site, can they offer a cheaper rate if you book direct.

 

[AlaPlaya]

No that's not correct. You will pay in full on check-in (ie when you arrive, not when you leave) at the rate quoted on the booking site. But, be careful, some hotels will say their rates don't include tax and in DR that means an extra 28%. So check the fine print on your reservation. d my b

I can only speak to my personal experience. At Bahia Principe, Melia, and Palladium hotels in Punta Cana I have paid on check-out, not check-in.

Note that hotels are allowed to sell cheaper rates than on the booking sites if you email or phone them, but they cannot publish cheaper rates. So you can often get a deal this way, for example if you email and say you've seen a rate of CAD$ 1000 on a booking site, can they offer a cheaper rate if you book direct.

As @MariaRubia notes, you can sometimes get a better deal dealing directly with the hotel. But sometimes not. By way of anecdotal example, I emailed a hotel last week about a stay this week. They offered me a price of $400 USD/night, but the rates I had seen online were approximately $155/night. So I booked online for the significantly cheaper rate.

Also, anecdotally, last year I forgot to add a second person to my reservation. Because I had booked with a third-party (AA vacations), when I called them, they only charged me ~$200 for the second guest for the whole week, instead of the $150/night the hotel wanted to charge had I booked directly with them.

 

[melphis]

Well now I'm a bit confused SKY. I went back to this site you recommended. (They sure have cool-looking photos, I know Melphis says it's a dump).
First their site says AI (all three meals) and everything looks great.
When I put in my dates, I get results with just bed and breakfast, gone is the AI. Crazy low rates.
So is it the luck of the draw whether you actually get AI?

Not sure how it could really be a dump if it's new?

There are 2 Whala hotels in the Bavaro area. The one on the beach is older and I personally think it's a dump. The other one is located next to the IMG hospital and there is nothing around it but it is relatively new. Just be careful which one you book.

Last year we walked through the beach hotel and had a drink on the roof top terrace. It was quite run down. They also have 2 sections to the hotel. One is directly on the beach and the second half is across the street. They are budget priced so they are not a 5 star. Anyone that knows their way around a camera could make this place look good. I would not stay there.

A friend stayed at the one by the hospital last week and said it was "a great place for $80 usd per night". Was not AI just bed and breakfast.

 

[melphis]

One other thing to keep in mind if you pay here and not in advance, when the charges come up on the CC machine if you are given a choice to pay in pesos or CDN dollars, always choose pesos. They ad about a 10% exchange surcharge if you pick dollars.
Your bank will only ad about 2 or 3%.

 

[SKY]

One other thing to keep in mind if you pay here and not in advance, when the charges come up on the CC machine if you are given a choice to pay in pesos or CDN dollars, always choose pesos. They ad about a 10% exchange surcharge if you pick dollars.
Your bank will only ad about 2 or 3%.

Most banks add even less than 2%, close to the actual exchange rate............

 

[keepcoming]

When you check in a "hold" is put on your credit card for a certain amount, normally the room charges. You're not actually "charged" until you check out, in case there were any incidental charges (phone calls, etc..) Not sure if Whala? (Bavaro) is new, I always thought it was just renamed and renovated to an extent. I always book directly with the hotel (website, call if needed). That way if there are any issues, they can't push the resolution off on the booking company.