Bahia Principe Explore Legend

The food has gone downhill horribly. High turnover from the last time we were there in January. New staff has minimal English skills and no desire to try to communicate. The beach was covered in a foot of seaweed, not accessible unless you want to climb over. First night in the lobby ordered the same drink 3 times, got 3 different drinks. The lowest capacity I have ever seen it, and chatter around the pool was how terrible it has gotten since Hyatt took over. I suggest looking elsewhere.

We had a lovely 11-night stay at Legend. The room The room was clean and spacious, and the bathroom was clean too. Everything worked as it should. The hot water was very hot though, so definitely be careful if you have small children. Our towels were replaced and the room was cleaned daily, and the minibar was always replenished. Room service was brilliant — around 10 minutes per order. The club sandwich was SO good, and we probably had about six during our stay! The king-size bed was very comfortable, as were the pillows. The pull-out bed wasn’t particularly comfy. This wasn’t an issue for us as our daughter stayed in the bed with us, but if she hadn’t, we would have asked for it to be changed. The staff Every single member of staff was pleasant, happy and more than willing to help. They all provided great service. A special mention to the waiters at Flame and Gourmet, and the barman at the pool bar. Honestly, we didn’t have a single complaint about the staff. Everyone was lovely. We took Dominican pesos to tip, and tipped •500 for most instances, and it was very very well received every time. We spent around £500 in tips, BUT they absolutely did not expect it, or did they treat anyone any different if they weren’t tipping. We met another couple who did not tip at all, and they mentioned how exceptional the service was, so please don’t feel pressured. The food We can’t comment on the evening buffet as we didn’t go — we did an à la carte restaurant every night. Nomad, Flame and Gourmet were our favourites. The Rodizio and Italian were also very good. We would genuinely come back here for the food alone. The breakfast and lunch buffets were very clean and plentiful. Everything was being restocked as soon as it ran out, so there was never really an issue with things being empty. The omelettes were brilliant, and I had one every morning! There were lots of food options, even for the fussiest eater. My daughter is very hard to please, and she still managed to find plenty to eat. The drinks are bottled soft drinks, which can sometimes be a little flat depending on how long the bottle has been open. It’s not the end of the world, but I think fountains would probably be better than bottled drinks. Having said that, the drinks were always readily available and constantly replenished, and there was plenty of water too. The alcoholic drinks were very nice and the cocktails were lovely. We really enjoyed the house wine in the evenings, which was surprisingly pleasant. We did pay $5 for a piña colada served in a pineapple, which was great and definitely worth the money. Overall, absolutely no complaints with the food or drinks. The pools Exceptional. The pools were like bath water temperature — super warm and really pleasant. They were constantly being cleaned, and the lifeguards were VERY watchful. There were lots of activities going on for people in the pools too. We enjoyed the slide pool at Legend, as well as Esmeralda and the main water park. All were very good, and our daughter absolutely loved them. There are a ridiculous amount of sunbeds. There were absolutely no sunbed wars or people reserving beds here! We came and went throughout the day and into the early evening and could always have our choice of beds. I’d say around 85% of the sunbeds were free at any given time. The beach was pretty much the same. The beach Beautiful, but there was lots of sargassum/seaweed. We expected this before coming, so it wasn’t an issue for us. They are actively cleaning it up, and some days were definitely better than others. There are vendors on the beach and you are approached quite constantly, which we found very annoying. This did put us off spending the whole day on the beach. We did the snorkelling trip to the coral reefs and paid $40 each for one hour. It was really good and I’d highly recommend it. We also did the catamaran training so we could make use of the one hour free per day. This cost $50 and was highly worth it. We didn’t do the free snorkelling from the shore as the seaweed was too bad while we were there. Entertainment We are morning people, so we didn’t actually watch any of the evening shows. We did, however, go to the Oneiro show, which was fantastic! It was so good and really suitable for children too. The food was nice as well. The staff there work incredibly hard, and it was really visually pleasing watching them all work together in tandem. I would highly recommend booking this and not missing it. Honestly, a 10/10 show. Overall I would absolutely recommend this hotel. I was honestly so worried about coming here because of all the bad reviews I had read, but please take them with a pinch of salt. We have not had one single bad experience or negative issue during our stay. Everything has been great, the staff have been lovely, the food has been really good and there is so much to do. We would absolutely come back here. We loved it.

Well maintained hotel. Room was always kept cleaned and with plenty of towels and amenities. The staff was great and friendly except for one that seemed unfriendly from guest services, by the name of Juan. But enjoyed myself. Caution careful with salads. I got a little food poisoning on the last day.

I normally never do the review. , but I feel bad if I I don’t share our experience, we went August 31 to September 7 , with my family kids and grandkids, from Vancouver nd Toronto to celebrate my 60th birthday. I the food was great Flame and Brazilian restaurant and the service was great very accommodating staff /tesm ,,, management ,,

Tips for a stress-free stay ~~ We just got back from a week here on an Air Canada Vacations package. Our goal was a completely stress-free getaway, and we had a great time. Writing this to share a few honest hints for future travelers, especially since some reviews had us a bit worried before we arrived. Money & Tipping First off, don't worry about getting local currency. Everywhere in the resort and surrounding areas accepts USD and major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Amex). Just bring a bunch of small USD bills for tipping. Keep in mind that things outside the package, like hotel services or extra purchases, are quite expensive and comparable to US prices. The Resort & Rooms Manage your expectations regarding the "5-star" rating. This is a solid Caribbean resort, but it doesn't match North American 5-star luxury standards. We saw a lot of complaints online, but our room was honestly perfectly fine. It just needs some general maintenance and upkeep (our bathroom had a minor leak near the toilet). That said, housekeeping did a fantastic job and cleaned thoroughly every single day. We used the in-room safe for our valuables and had zero issues. Food & Drinks The buffet was good for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Again, don't compare it to high-end North American dining, but there was always a great selection, including tons of fresh tropical fruits. Trays were refilled promptly, and table service for drinks was quick. Everything was clean, and despite what some reviews claimed, nobody in our family experienced any stomach issues. Dietary Warning: It will be a bit tricky for vegetarians and people with dietary restrictions. Guests frequently mix up the serving spoons between different dishes at the buffet, so cross-contamination is a bit of an issue. Crucial Tip: Book your à la carte restaurants through the app at least 10 days before you arrive. If you wait until you get here, you won't get a table. Kids & Amenities If you have kids, they will love it. There is tons of entertainment, a great water park, and excellent pool activities. Drinks are served right by the pool, and fresh towels are always available. The beach is a quick shuttle ride away. Just keep an eye on the sargassum and seaweed seasons before booking if you are a big beach person. Arrival & Safety The resort is in a gated community and feels completely safe. When you land at the airport, ignore the timeshare salespeople and look directly for the staff in the red Air Canada T-shirts. They will guide you straight to your transfer shuttle. A Few Final Tips: Water: The hotel provides sealed bottled water in the rooms daily, which is great. Stick to that, as the tap water tastes a bit off. Language: Brush up on a few basic Spanish phrases before you come. While some staff speak English, knowing a little Spanish goes a very long way and is highly appreciated. Noise: Rooms are not insulated, so expect to hear loud music/ conversations from the lobby/foyer. Weather: It’s a gorgeous, hot tropical climate, so pack accordingly.Overall, a great, safe family vacation. Just come with the right expectations and you’ll have a blast.