Bahia Principe Explore Legend

This is not a 5-star hotel as advertised by TUI and there are several areas that need improvement. However, we still enjoyed our stay because we prefer to make the most of our holiday rather than spend our time complaining. The resort itself is beautiful. The only à la carte restaurant we booked was the Oneiro Dinner Show. The show was fantastic and very entertaining. Unfortunately, we did not enjoy the starter or the main course, although the dessert was excellent. We were also disappointed that there was no kids menu available. Our daughter was left hungry by the end of the show, and we had to go to the buffet afterwards so she could eat something. The buffet was probably the most disappointing part of our stay. We never felt particularly welcomed there. Most of the staff looked unhappy, and it was rare to see a smile. Once seated, it often took a long time for someone to bring drinks, and whenever we asked for something, it felt as though we were inconveniencing the staff rather than being assisted. Good service can make a huge difference to a holiday experience, and unfortunately this was lacking during many of our buffet visits. On a much more positive note, the Kids Club was excellent. Every time our daughter attended, we were warmly welcomed. The staff were fantastic with the children, caring, friendly, and enthusiastic. There was a great variety of activities available throughout the day, and our daughter always looked forward to going back. The Kids Club was definitely one of the highlights of our stay and deserves recognition for the wonderful job they do. While the hotel did not meet our expectations of a true 5-star resort, we still enjoyed our stay thanks to the beautiful location, entertainment, excellent Kids Club, and quality time spent together as a family.

We enjoyed staying at Bahia Principe Legend (formerly Fantasia) but mostly because we also had access to the other resorts in the Bahia Principe property. We loved the pools in EXPLORE. The golf cart transportation was very convenient since the property is so large. LEGEND had a nice pool as well. My 4 year old granddaughter loved the castle show and Oneiro Dinner show as well. Food was plentiful and good quality. There is plenty to choose from at the buffet. The restaurants were very good as well. Alcohol is low quality but I expected that since we are accustomed to going to Mexico where we have a membership at a hotel that includes top shelf liquor as part of our benefit package. Service was better at some restaurants than others. Language barrier did make things difficult but we were in their country so I made every effort to communicate in Spanish. Check in was my biggest complaint. Despite doing the 10 day early check in, it took us 10 hours to get our rooms. Again, language barrier and poor organization seemed to be the problem. Once that was resolved, things went smoothly. Rooms were very clean. Soap dispenser was missing in the shower. I asked for a blanket and 2 were delivered promptly. Our door stopped working and they came to fix it right away. We would stay at Bahia again. Just would like to try a different section like Explore, Âmbar, Esmerelda, Turquesa, or Aquamarine.

We previously stayed at Bahia Principe Grand around 10 years ago and had a wonderful experience, which is why we decided to return. However, before travelling, TUI informed us that renovations were taking place, so we were offered a moved to Fantasia. Check-in was smooth as we had completed online check-in in advance and were initially allocated two rooms. The bellboys escorted us to our accommodation, but when my sister entered her room, she discovered that it was already occupied, with two guests asleep in bed. With a tired three-year-old desperate to go swimming, my mum took him to the pool while my sister and I spent almost two hours waiting in our tracksuits, unable to unpack or settle in. We were left in one room while the bellboys dealt with the issue, without access to Wi-Fi or mobile data, meaning we couldn't contact family members to let them know we had arrived. Eventually, two new rooms were found in a different block, and we felt sorry for the bellboys who had to move six suitcases and a pushchair because of the hotel's mistake. We are not particularly concerned about room décor, as we mainly use them to sleep, but the rooms do feel dated and could benefit from a more thorough clean. On one occasion our room was not serviced at all, and despite requesting housekeeping, it was not dealt with promptly. When it was eventually cleaned, the maid did not appear pleased about being asked. Around day 10 of our two-week stay, our room bracelets stopped working and we were locked out. Recalibrating them seemed to be treated as an inconvenience by reception, despite us having to return there after discovering we couldn't access our rooms. The minibar was also disappointing. It was rarely replenished, leaving us returning to our room each day without water or drinks. Repeated calls to concierge were often met with delays and unhelpful attitudes. My sister's toilet was broken for three days and required constant chasing with reception and family concierge before it was properly fixed. Thankfully, she was staying next door and could use our facilities, but this would not be ideal for many families. At one point, after explaining the issue again to the family concierge, she was met with little more than a thumbs up and a sarcastic smile. Unfortunately, the entertainment team was underwhelming. We found them lacking enthusiasm and felt that guests who spoke Spanish received more attention and interaction. My nephew was regularly overlooked during pool games and activities, while Spanish-speaking children were prioritised. On one occasion, we queued for sweets only for a guest behind us to be served first. My sister experienced similar treatment during a pool activity, where both she and my nephew were repeatedly ignored. By contrast, when we visited the Grand (now Explore) section of the resort, the entertainment staff were much more welcoming and eager to involve guests. We enjoyed dining at several restaurants, particularly the Greek, Japanese, Steakhouse and Mongolian restaurants, all located on the neighbouring resort. We were less impressed with the Italian restaurant at Fantasia. The buffet offered a good variety of food, and the pizza from the snack bar was excellent and convenient. However, service in the buffet was often poor, with drinks arriving towards the end of meals. Again, it appeared that Spanish-speaking guests received quicker and friendlier service. We noticed the same issue at the swim-up and pool bars, where it often felt like a struggle to be served. That said, Morellia, one of the pool waitresses, was exceptional. She was warm, attentive and always came to check if we needed drinks or anything else. She was genuinely one of the highlights of our stay. The water park was fantastic for my nephew, especially the unlimited ice cream, which was a big hit. We also attended the Oniro show, which is included with stays at Explore Legend, and thoroughly enjoyed it. The food, service and entertainment were excellent, and my nephew loved the experience. We also took a trip to Saona Island, which was a highlight of the holiday. The boat trips, snorkelling and beautiful beach made it a memorable excursion and one we would highly recommend. The beach itself at Bahia principe was unfortunately covered in seaweed throughout our stay, which meant we were unable to enjoy the sea. We understand this is seasonal, but other resorts we have visited have been quicker to clear it. Sunbeds were never an issue, even later in the morning, although there was a noticeable shortage of umbrellas. We also found that the jets in the whirlpools and jacuzzis were not working. The resort buggies were useful for getting around, especially when visiting restaurants or other areas of the complex, but safety could be improved. On one occasion, a buggy started to move away while my nephew was still getting off, and had my sister not been holding onto him, he could easily have fallen. Overall, we do not feel this resort offers a true five-star experience or justifies the price we paid. We can overlook dated rooms, but poor service was a consistent issue throughout our stay and ultimately let the resort down. We would consider returning if prices better reflected the standard provided, but if we did return to Bahia Principe, we would likely choose a different section of the resort, such as the Grand/Explore, as we did not feel particularly welcomed at Fantasia.

Our stay at Bahia Principe Explore Legend in Punta Cana was overall enjoyable, and we truly had a great family vacation. The hotel is beautifully designed with families and children in mind, and it has so much potential. However, there are several areas that need significant improvement, especially when it comes to cleanliness, maintenance, and guest experience. Unfortunately, our room had small roaches, and there was a leak coming from the ceiling. We contacted maintenance, and although they came to inspect it and saw the water dripping, they were never able to identify or fix the source of the leak during our stay. The bathroom was also missing basic necessities like hand towels, face towels, and a bath mat. Housekeeping during the day did a good job overall, but room service was disappointing. We scheduled coffee and hot milk for our children to be delivered at 7:30 a.m. each morning, but it never arrived on time. We had to call and follow up several times before it was finally delivered, which was frustrating. I can’t comment much on the buffet food since we only had breakfast there, but I do want to recognize Yanira, who made every morning special. She greeted us every day with a warm smile and consistently went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed. She is truly an asset to the hotel. That said, the breakfast buffet area is simply too small for the number of guests. It was extremely crowded, and there were times we had to wait for clean plates. Expanding the buffet space or opening another breakfast area would greatly improve the experience. Our absolute favorite dining experience was Le Gourmet. Everything was exceptional—from the food, drinks, and desserts to the kids’ buffet and outstanding service. Thanya, our server, and Pablo, the manager, made us feel incredibly welcome and took excellent care of us. We enjoyed it so much that we returned for a second dinner during our stay. Another unforgettable experience was the Oneiro dinner show. It is an absolute must-do! The food, service, entertainment, and overall production were outstanding. It exceeded all of our expectations and was one of the highlights of our vacation. One of our biggest disappointments was the beach. We were unable to fully enjoy it because it was very crowded and not well maintained. We were told that the beach is shared with the public rather than being private to the resort, and unfortunately, it showed. The cleanliness and overall upkeep of the beach did not match what we expected from a resort of this caliber. Overall, despite the issues, we had a wonderful time and made great family memories. We were also told that the property was recently acquired by Hyatt, so perhaps they are still working through the transition. If that’s the case, we hope many of these issues will be addressed because this resort truly has tremendous potential. We would be willing to give Bahia Principe Explore Legend another chance in the future and look forward to seeing the improvements.

I rarely leave negative reviews, but unfortunately this was the worst resort experience I’ve had in the Dominican Republic. Upon arrival, we discovered roaches in the bathroom on our very first night. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident. We continued to see roaches in the room throughout the duration of our stay, which made it uncomfortable to relax and even sleep at night. We were constantly concerned about our belongings and made sure all of our luggage remained closed and secured to avoid bringing anything home with us. The shower was also clogged and would not drain properly. To the resort’s credit, maintenance did resolve the shower issue the day after we reported it. The room itself was spacious enough for our family of five (2 adults and 3 children), which was appreciated. However, several other issues significantly impacted our stay. The resort does not provide washcloths, and while bath towels were available, we often had to request replacements because housekeeping frequently did not service the room until late afternoon. The most concerning issue occurred on our third day. The air conditioning was barely working, and while charging a phone in one of only two functioning outlets, sparks suddenly began flying from the outlet. The entire room lost power for approximately 30 minutes. With three small children, this was extremely stressful. I immediately notified the concierge because we could not safely remain in a room without air conditioning or lights. Although the power eventually returned, none of the outlets in the room worked for the remainder of our stay. I was assured the issue would be repaired by Thursday, but it never was, and we checked out on Saturday. Thankfully, we had family staying elsewhere on the property and were able to charge our devices in their room before departure. The food was average at best. We were able to secure two restaurant reservations during our four-night stay, which was a positive. The highlights of the resort were the staff, who were consistently friendly and courteous, and the amenities for children. Our kids thoroughly enjoyed the pool and water park, which were definitely the bright spots of the trip. Overall, I’ve visited the Dominican Republic several times, and this was by far the worst resort I’ve stayed at. Between the ongoing roach problem, electrical issues, lack of functioning outlets, inconsistent housekeeping, and air conditioning problems, I found myself counting down the days until our trip was over. While the staff was kind and the children’s activities were enjoyable. I would not choose to stay at this resort again.