Bahia Principe Explore La Romana

Yet again we had another fantastic holiday at this resort. Fabulous staff throughout and all ready to say 'Ola' as you get near them. Pool bar staff do an amazing job and the beach staff do a fantastic job keeping the beach clean. There are only 2 downsides (that have NOT ruined our holiday in the slightest), the bathrooms in the rooms could do with an update and the sea isn't clear blue, but that's because the river runs into it a few miles up so churns up the sand, but its clean and so lovely and warm. We really don't want to go, again!! Thank you bahia principe la romana for another fantastic stay and hope to see you all again soon ❤️

We booked through Tui, the transfer to the airport took 70 minutes on a smaller mini bus with 2-3 other families staying at the same hotel. We did not stop at any other hotels. In terms of finding the coach for the transfer, there are many people willing to help you find your bus (for a tip) we felt quite pressured. Find someone wearing a tui tip if you booked with them to get your bus number and find the bus on your own. Don’t feel pressured to accept help it’s literally a 30 second walk to the bus. The resort is in a quiet area and is part of a larger development of holiday homes, many of which have not been purchased yet. The development spans the whole length of the beach and we felt safe walking to each end. At the far end the water is clearer and we were able to swim in it. Generally the beach water is quite murky, this is due to the river. We saw lots of families enjoying the sea though despite the purple flag (dangerous marine life) always being up. I suspect this is due to the low visibility in the water. The beach is nice enough, although our teenagers preferred to be by the pool. At sunset they offer Prosecco on the pier which was a lovely experience. Great visibility for star gazing too. Rooms: the rooms were good enough, they could definitely do with some renovation though. There were small things such as paint spots where the balcony has been repainted and poor quality repairs. The room were definitely clean and the maids did a great job with upkeep. Air con was good, the shower wasn’t great, but it worked. Those in the room next to us shared that their shower was one of the next they had experienced on holiday though. We had a standard double room in block 34, opposite the main reception for the adult side of the hotel. We could hear the entertainment in the room, but I was always finished by 10.30pm. During our stay we requested a second bed for the other room we booked, this never arrived. The toilet in our room stopped flushing and this was fixed within an hour of reporting it. Food: For me the food was definitely a bit hit and miss. We were able to book 3 à la carte visits for our 10 night stay via the app. However the availability was quite limited. I understand that you can book these up to 10 days in advance of your stay, but only found this out later into the holiday. The food in each of the restaurants was of good standard and the staff were attentive and friendly. The buffet was okay, for me personally I found the food to always be just a bit too cold on both the beach front lunch buffet and the main evening buffet. There is plenty to choose from and the breakfast pastries were fairly good. We also enjoyed the fresh cooked omelettes. We did not try the overnight snack bar, but did have a look. It’s quite limited, mainly burgers and chips. So will do the job if you’re hungry. Bars: great staff, great drinks selection but no menus to find out what’s available- you’ll need to use the app. Staff were more than happy to let me practice my Spanish. English is not the common language here. Tipping: this is the first resort where we felt tipping is not a common occurrence, which is a shame for the staff who are so friendly and accommodating. We felt the service to be great and tipped accordingly. Other guests told us they do not tip at all!! We booked a trip to Saona island with Eduardo by the pool. The trip was fairly good value for money, although at times felt a little disorganised. The natural pool and Saona itself was stunning though. Entertainment: the entertainment team are fantastic, full of energy and very inclusive without making you feel pressured to join in. They were a definite highlight of our stay. The evening entertainment was also pretty good. The evening entertainment was brought in so not to the standard of the daytime team. The resort layout felt quite squashed together on arrival, but in the end we actually liked how close together everything was. Would be a great hotel for those with mobility issues. Generally we felt the resort to be clean and tidy, some areas are in need of attention though such as a few missing tiles in the pool area and general wear and tear. General: smoking seems to be very common at this resort, throughout the day by the pool there were a lot of people smoking, we also frequently smelled cannabis by the pool. We are non smokers and weren’t particularly bothered by this, but this is the first time at a Caribbean resort that we’ve experienced smoking to such an extent. Additionally, the smoking area by the main building is situated so that you need to walk through it to enter. Again, not a big deal to us, but some people may not like it. Lots of returning guests, families with both older and younger kids. We’ve been lucky enough to stay at many hotels in our life, we think this hotel represents really good value for money and would be a great choice for those on a budget. It’s definitely lower in stars than advertised, however it is clear that changes are being made. Perfect for those looking to experience the Caribbean on a smaller budget.

I’ve literally just left after the most INCREDIBLE week here! Please don’t let negative posts put you off as my experience has been nothing like had been written. Rooms - clean and spacious. A room is for sleeping and getting ready in not spending your holiday in! Food - fantastic! Great choice, plentiful and tasty and hot! So much to choose from, food for every taste and cuisine! À la cartes are fabulous too! Beach - fabulous! Clean and no sargassam. Plenty of sunbeds for everyone Pool - clean and refreshing when we wanted a dip to cool off. Can’t fault it at all. Again plenty of sunbeds for all. For me the best part is the staff. They work INCREDIBLY hard to make sure you’re taken care off. Cleaners, gardeners, maintenance folks literally have working around the clock, they’re everywhere all the time. ENTERTAINMENT staff are utterly fabulous! Such good fun at the pool and in and evening they’re first class and again working so hard to keep us all entertained! BAR AND WAITERS - again working INCREDIBLY hard to make sure you’re fed sbc watered, they are all superb. I didn’t see any rudeness from staff, only from my fellow Brits staying here who were rude and abrupt when they weren’t getting served quick enough. Have some patience! They’re doing a great job! Overall - first trip to Dominican and I would come again and to this hotel in a heartbeat. I look on this holiday with humility and gratitude compared to complainers, as I recognise that there are people all over the world who would give anything to be here for a week rather than living in poverty or conflict! So please have perspective before you start slating the place! La Romama THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts for an incredible holiday! Xxx

Lets start with the positives because it’s always easy to point out the bad. The food was surprisingly pretty good ! Enough variety and the speciality restaurants were a nice variety ( only 3 times you can make a reservation for a weeks stay). The pool was big and nice but get a lounger early because the beach isn’t as popular as the pool is and it fills up quick.the beach looks nice but there are jellyfish that will sting ( saw it happen a few times). The entertainment at the pool was very loud, sometimes too loud to my liking ( I brought ear plugs for my own comfort). Bar and drinks were fine. Be aware that on some days ( weekend or holidays) day-time people can join and it’s overcrowded. We did one boat tour to Catalina island so my son also could have a deep sea dive. Diving and snorkeling is nice but the Catalina island visit is disappointing. Broken chairs and very mediocre food. Also the ride itself was very uncomfortable. They boat went way to fast for the swells of the sea and almost got me hurt a few times. We had a fun week but will go somewhere else next time.

I had an excellent e experience with my family. Everything was very good, the food, drinks, pool, activities. But the best part was the hospitality. The workers were exceptional, professional, polite, helpful, I can go on. They should get pay more. They make up the resort.