Bahia Principe Explore Esmeralda

We stayed here a few years ago and when we returned this time we were amazed at the refurbishment, the new sports bar was really good, sitting watching England with people from Mexico, Argentina, Colombia and many more, it was a great atmosphere in there. The beach is really good and the staff work very hard to keep it clean, there is a problem with the seaweed from time to ime but again, the staff work very hard to clear it all away, three great pools, a swim up bar too. We went to all the specialised restaurants too, the Murta, was our favourite, we went twice! This hotel gets quite a few negative reviews but take no notice just book it and go, it is fantastic.

We are disappointed with their restaurant reservation, we upgraded to Esmeralda to get more access to restaurants, however we could not book to the restaurants we would like to go. They were all full, concierge gave us options of other restaurants, however, my husband would not eat those kind of food, he said we could ask the restaurant how we want the meat cook, when we got to the restaurant, it didn’t work that way, they have a menu to follow. We are here for 5 days, and could not get to the restaurants we want to go. There buffet is a long line, you will be in a line for a while if you want your food freshly cooked. It’s not worth the money I paid for upgrade!!! Very disappointed!!! I would not recommend this place!!!

We stayed at the Esmeralda for 1 week. We didn’t realise all rooms face the pools or have garden views. None of the rooms are ocean facing but we could still see a partial view of the ocean from our balcony. Our toilet got blocked on the first night but the problem was resolved first thing by 9am the next day! Staff were constantly checking if all was ok with our stay and they were very attentive and happy to get any issues quickly resolved. Food at the buffet was a little bit of a hit and miss. Some nights were better than others but I guess it would be very difficult to cater for everyone’s taste. Staff at the pool bar were great! They made the best pina coladas! A shout out to Alex who kept checking if we needed any drinks by the pool! Alex was great! Another special shout out to Ramon in guest services. Despite us telling staff we were at the hotel to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary of 25 years, Ramon was the only person who acknowledged this. He arranged for champagne to be sent to us and he very kindly helped us get reservations in the à la carte restaurants which the staff at the front desk failed to do. Ramon really made our stay a special one and he also deserves some form of recognition for his efforts. He displayed excellent customer service skills and customer satisfaction was at the core of everything he did for us. Ramon is a great asset to your team so please give him the recognition he so deserves. Although Ramon helped us book reservations at the à la carte restaurants we did notice a lot of empty tables so maybe this is something that can be looked at for future customers. It shouldn’t be so hard to get a reservation on the app. There was clearly empty tables so why not let your customers enjoy the great food on offer. It doesn’t make sense to say the restaurants are fully booked when they are not. Other than this, we had a great time and look forward to re-booking.

The hotel grounds are well kept, the 2023 renovation is awesome and the rooms are modern and chique. The only problem is the à la carte restaurants reservation system, which allows guests to book 10 days prior, even before checkin, which makes it impossible to book popular ones. Very frustrating. The hotel is the closest to the beach, and you have access to the neighboring Bahia Punta Cana, but nothing to see as it is inferior. Ambar and Aquamarine are adults only, and Legend is prohibited(the one with a castle). Would come back and would recommend, and been to DR 7 times now so I wouldn’t underrate or overrate this resort

This is a truly beautiful hotel! The whole staff is incredibly friendly, helpful and always smiling. The food is absolutely delicious, and there is such a great variety that everyone can find something they like, no matter what they are craving. The rooms are beautiful, spacious and very clean. You can really see that cleanliness is a top priority here — not only in the rooms, but also outside, in the restaurants and on the beach. Everything is well maintained, clean and beautifully looked after. There is always something happening at the hotel, with lots of activities and entertainment, so there is never a dull moment. The atmosphere is amazing and we have had a wonderful stay. I highly recommend this hotel! I will definitely recommend it to everyone and will be happy to praise it to others. I would love to come back again! ❤️