Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana

Had an amazing time, it seems that there is food and drinks available 24/7 so you really get the most for your money. The pools are clean and fun. Bars are super fun and they have heavy pours so you can have a great time. I highly recommend the blue bar by the beach, Jose was my bartender and he did such a great job the whole family came back and asked for him to see him and say hi everyday we were there, he added a great experience to the whole trip. Highly recommend!

This is our experienced and what I emailed the Bahia Costumer service .. —I received an offer of 1 night compensation which I declined. They are not very friendly resort. We left with frustration and not so much of a vacation. We will NEVER return and We will not recommend them to anybody! The response I received from this is to”enhance our stay” during a 3am transfer. Imagine packing the entire house with kids 3 times. I am writing to formally express my extreme disappointment and frustration with the treatment my family received during our recent eight-day stay at this resort. What should have been a relaxing and memorable family vacation became one of the most stressful travel experiences we have ever endured. As paying guests, we expected professionalism, hospitality, and customer service. Instead, we were met with repeated service failures, poor communication, lack of empathy, and a complete disregard for our concerns. Our problems began the moment we arrived. After traveling for more than 10 hours with our four children, all under the age of five, we were forced to spend nearly three hours in the lobby because of an issue with our Expedia reservation. During that time, I contacted Expedia numerous times, and Expedia representatives repeatedly called your concierge/front desk on our behalf. One representative, **Seony**, consistently explained to your staff that, according to our reservation, we should not have been charged additional fees for our children. Despite Expedia advocating for us multiple times, your staff still insisted that we pay an additional **$590**, claiming it was a discounted amount from **$798**. We felt we had no choice but to pay because our children were exhausted after our long journey and desperately needed to get into our room. After waiting until approximately **7:30 p.m.**, a manager finally came to speak with us and told us he would "advocate" on our behalf regarding the additional charges. After speaking with the staff, he returned and informed us that there was nothing else he could do. No solution was offered, and we were still required to pay the additional **$590** despite Expedia repeatedly stating that we should not have been charged. The manager then suggested that we go eat at the buffet while the check-in process continued. However, because we had not yet been issued wristbands, we felt unwelcome. Staff looked at us with suspicion, and no one approached us to offer water or refreshments. While I remained at the front desk trying to resolve our reservation, I went to check on my husband and our four young children and found them sitting there exhausted, without water. My husband told me that no one had come to check on them or offer them anything to drink despite seeing them waiting. For a resort that promotes hospitality, the complete lack of care and compassion shown to my family during this time was deeply disappointing. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning. Throughout our stay, every day seemed to bring another problem. The buffet food was nearly identical every day, making meals repetitive during an eight-day vacation. While a few employees were genuinely kind and attentive, many others appeared annoyed whenever assistance was requested. At several meals, no one came to offer us drinks or check on our table, forcing us to repeatedly leave our children to get beverages ourselves. It often felt like we had to fight just to receive the level of service that should have been standard. On the second day of our stay, our original two-bedroom suite, **Room 21204**, developed a leak. Although maintenance repaired the leak, 3 to 4 days later the room developed an overwhelming sewage-like odor. We immediately contacted the concierge. Someone arrived carrying only a plunger, briefly inspected the room, and insisted there was nothing wrong. By the following day, the smell had become even worse. We called the concierge numerous times and were repeatedly placed on hold for what felt like forever before anyone responded. At approximately **12:40 a.m.**, we were informed that we would be transferred to another room. However, the move did not happen until nearly **3:00 a.m.** We had to wake our four sleeping children, pack all of our belongings, and move in the middle of the night. No manager came to inspect the room, apologize, or check on our family. A bellman was sent to help us move to **Room 26209**. The following day at approximately **1:00 p.m.**, my husband met with the concierge and requested that we be transferred to another room because the odor in our original suite made it unlivable. Instead, your staff insisted that we move back to **Room 21204**, assuring us that the problem had been fixed. Trusting your staff, we packed our belongings once again and moved back into our original suite. Within a short time, the exact same foul odor returned. I immediately contacted the concierge again. Housekeeping came and genuinely tried their best to make the room smell better, but everyone knew they were only masking the odor rather than fixing the underlying issue. I was then asked to report to the concierge office. During that meeting, I was informed there were no available two-bedroom suites and that my only options were to remain in the foul-smelling room or downgrade to a one-bedroom room. As a family of six with four young children, this was completely unacceptable. I repeatedly explained that we specifically booked and paid for a two-bedroom suite because it was necessary for our family. After approximately 10 to 15 minutes of discussion, I was suddenly told that another two-bedroom suite had become available and that I could inspect it to make sure it met our needs. We approved the room and then packed our family for the **third time**, finally moving into **Room 28101**. To summarize, during our vacation we occupied **three different rooms—21204, 26209, and 28101—and were forced to pack and unpack our belongings three separate times because of issues entirely beyond our control.** Unfortunately, the problems continued. After settling into Room 28101, I politely requested that the extra bed be prepared for our children. I made this request directly with the concierge and again through the resort's mobile app. No one ever came. After waiting, I finally gave up and made the sleeping arrangements myself. I stripped the sheets from our master bed and divided them so my children would have somewhere comfortable to sleep. No paying guest should ever have to do this after repeatedly requesting assistance. To make matters worse, after transferring rooms, our wristbands were programmed incorrectly. Instead of being linked to our new room, they were programmed to another room number. As a result, we were locked out of our own room and had to return to the front desk to have them reprogrammed. This was yet another avoidable inconvenience caused by your staff. Another disappointing experience involved the specialty restaurant reservations. Due to the unforeseen circumstances caused by the room issues and transfers, we missed our first specialty restaurant reservation. I politely asked the concierge if our reservation could simply be rescheduled or if we could be booked into another specialty restaurant during our eight-day stay. Instead of trying to help, I was met with an attitude that came across as annoyed and dismissive. I was told that nothing could be done. Considering we were staying at your resort for eight days, I find it unacceptable that no effort was made to accommodate our family. I wasn't asking for anything extra—only the opportunity to enjoy one of the dining experiences included with our vacation. Perhaps the most disappointing part of this entire experience was the complete lack of accountability. When I raised these concerns with the concierge department, I expected management to step in, investigate what had happened, and work toward a solution. Instead, I was simply told to send an email to corporate with my complaint. Rather than attempting to resolve the issues while we were still guests at your resort, the responsibility was simply pushed elsewhere. That response made my family feel dismissed and unimportant. Throughout our stay, the recurring theme was a lack of urgency, empathy, communication, and genuine customer service. While there were a few employees who truly tried to help, they were overshadowed by repeated service failures and staff members who treated us as though we were inconveniencing them simply by asking for assistance. We did not spend thousands of dollars to spend our vacation arguing over our reservation, paying disputed charges, moving rooms three times, chasing down assistance, making beds for our children ourselves, being locked out of our room because of programming errors, and constantly advocating for accommodations we had already paid for. Problems can happen at any resort. What distinguishes an exceptional resort is how those problems are handled. In our case, they were handled poorly from beginning to end. Given everything my family experienced, I expect management to conduct a thorough investigation into this matter and provide an appropriate resolution, including reimbursement of the disputed **$590** charge, meaningful compensation for the repeated room failures, disruption to our vacation, loss of amenities and services, and the unacceptable level of customer care we consistently received.

Firstly..Arrived late afternoon Saturday 26/9…..safe not working…certain staff very ignorant until u give them a tip.day2 /3 not filled mini fridges up. Day 3 cockroaches in room… day 4 /5/6 coffee machines not working for breakfast for 2 days pop machines not working at dinners also yet again mini fridges never re stocked….Allacarte restaurant not got all stuff on menus… constantly ruining out of stock… Sports bar… u put your song on to play… staff come from behind bar turn it off put there’s on in Spanish…..TOTALLY INTIMIDATING…. Weekends they open the doors to all locals that run riot around the hotel/pools etc dining areas etc . ( beach party) fights amongst themselves)…we still here till 10th October….Definitely a hotel not for Whites r Families…RACIST TO WHITES HOTEL… DEFINITELY NOT EVER COMING BACK HERE FOR THE COST OF OUR MAIN HOLIDAY PAUL S..

⭐ 1 STAR — CURRENTLY STAYING HERE | ROOM 5201 I am currently staying at Bahia Principe Explore Punta Cana in Room 5201 with my family. I'm intentionally posting this review while we're still here. I would rather give management an opportunity to address our concerns during our vacation than wait until I return home when nothing can be done. For context, we have been travelling to the Dominican Republic approximately three times a year for the past five years and have stayed at many resorts and different price points. Unfortunately, based on our experience so far, I would not recommend this property for families at this price point. If our experience improves before we leave, I will gladly update this review. --- 🚨 SERVICE — OUR BIGGEST ISSUE The resort does not appear to be short on staff. Our issue has been getting requests completed and receiving consistent service. - CRIB — DAY 4 AND STILL WAITING: We requested a crib before we even left Toronto. - After arriving, we requested it again at the front desk. - We requested it again through the resort app. - We requested it again through housekeeping. - It is now Day 4 and we still have not received the crib. - Housekeeping requests: Extra towels and bed sheets have required multiple requests and follow-ups. - App requests: We have used the resort app as instructed, but some requests have gone unanswered or unfulfilled. - Follow-through: This has been the recurring issue—we often have to follow up multiple times for basic requests. One example: our confirmed room refresh Today is a good example of what has been frustrating us. - I requested a room refresh through the app for 6:30 p.m. - At approximately 6:00 p.m., I called specifically to confirm the request. - It was confirmed. - We returned to our room at approximately 9:30 p.m. - The room had not been refreshed. When I raised the issue, I received another apology. I appreciate an apology when something goes wrong, but at this point I would rather see the service completed than continue receiving apologies. When a request has specifically been confirmed, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect it to be completed at a resort at this price point. --- ⭐ EMPLOYEES WHO DESERVE RECOGNITION I also want to make it clear that we have encountered some excellent employees, and they deserve to be recognized. - Adeline — Bellhop: Excellent service. Helpful, attentive and consistently willing to assist. - Marisol — Housekeeping: She handles our morning housekeeping and does an excellent job. - Aldo — Reception: Very helpful and has provided us with excellent service at reception. These three have stood out during our stay, and I appreciate their efforts. --- 🔧 ROOM 5201 — MAINTENANCE During our stay, we have already needed maintenance/plumbing assistance involving: - The toilet - The shower - The sink Having issues involving all three during the same stay has been disappointing. --- 🛎️ ROOM SERVICE & MINIBAR There is no room service, which is something travellers should be aware of before booking. The minibar is also fairly basic: - Beer - A small selection of soft drinks - No snacks - Very limited additional options This isn't our biggest complaint, but compared with other all-inclusive resorts we've stayed at in a similar price range, we expected a little more. --- 📺 IN-ROOM ENTERTAINMENT The in-room entertainment is also fairly basic. - Basic cable selection - Very limited English-language children's programming - Netflix is available - We have not been able to change the television input to connect our own streaming device For families who sometimes want familiar children's programming during downtime in the room, the options are limited. --- 🌧️ RAINY DAYS & KIDS CLUB One thing families should consider is what there is to do when the weather isn't cooperating. On a rainy day, we found there was very little for children to do indoors together with their parents. The Kids Club is available, but in our experience it operates as a drop-off program. - Parents cannot simply stay inside and participate in the Kids Club activities with their children. - If you're not comfortable leaving your child there without you, you effectively cannot use the facility. - For that reason, our children have not used the Kids Club during our stay. I would have liked to see some indoor family activities where parents and children could participate together, particularly on rainy days. --- 🍽️ BUFFET SERVICE The buffet itself is self-seating. You walk in and find your own table, which is perfectly fine. Our issue is the service after you're seated. - Someone will generally come over initially and ask what you would like to drink. - After that, table service is very limited. - Used plates are not consistently cleared. - Staff don't consistently return to ask whether you need another drink, water or coffee. - At dinner, particularly around the right side of the main buffet, we have repeatedly seen numerous employees standing together while tables are waiting for service. - Breakfast has generally been a little better, although sometimes someone offers coffee once and you don't see them again. The issue isn't that someone doesn't seat us. It's the lack of consistent service once we're at the table. --- 🚶 WEEKEND CROWDING The weekend has been particularly difficult. For approximately three days of our vacation so far, the property has felt extremely busy. We experienced: - Very long lines simply to enter the buffet - Additional congestion once inside trying to get food - Very busy common areas - A heavily crowded children's water park - Noticeably slower service I have photographs of the buffet lines and crowding. I completely understand that local residents also enjoy weekend stays at these resorts. My concern isn't who is staying at the hotel. My concern is capacity. If weekend occupancy increases significantly, the resort needs sufficient restaurant capacity, facilities and service to accommodate that additional volume without negatively affecting the experience of everyone staying at the property. We came here as tourists to relax, and unfortunately the weekend portion of our stay has felt overcrowded rather than relaxing. --- 🍳 FOOD The buffet food has also been repetitive. - Many of the same selections appear each day - Breakfast becomes repetitive - Dinner becomes repetitive - There is limited international variety - Much of the selection is focused on Dominican/local cuisine There is obviously nothing wrong with Dominican food—we're visiting the Dominican Republic and enjoy experiencing the local food. However, at an international all-inclusive resort, I would expect a broader mix of international choices alongside the local cuisine. The weekend crowds also make the buffet experience considerably more difficult. --- 🍴 À-LA-CARTE RESTAURANTS The resort advertises eight restaurants, but despite staying for more than seven days, we have effectively been limited to reservations at three. Our experience has been: - Additional reservations required asking guest services for special assistance. - After receiving an additional reservation, we arrived at the restaurant and it wasn't showing in their system. - Restaurant service itself has also been consistently slow. At every à-la-carte restaurant we've tried so far, there has been approximately a 20–30 minute gap between finishing the appetizer and receiving the main course. This has happened consistently enough that it has become noticeable. For families dining with children, those long gaps between courses make dinner unnecessarily difficult. If eight restaurants are advertised, I think guests staying for more than a week should have a reasonable opportunity to experience more of them. --- 💦 WATER PARK — IMPORTANT FOR FAMILIES TO UNDERSTAND This is something I wish had been clearer before we booked. Since the renovations, Explore Punta Cana does not have its own dedicated children's water park as part of the experience we received. The children's water park available to Explore Punta Cana guests is located at the neighbouring Bahia Principe Explore Turquesa. In practice: - Explore Punta Cana guests use the Turquesa children's water park - Turquesa guests also use the same water park - The facility is therefore shared between guests from both properties - Neighbouring Esmeralda and Legend have their own water-park facilities - Those other water parks are not included with our Explore Punta Cana access The Turquesa water park itself also feels dated compared with other family resorts we've experienced. During the busy weekend, the shared water park became extremely crowded. Families booking primarily because they see a children's water park advertised should understand exactly which water park they will have access to and that it is shared with the neighbouring Turquesa property. --- 🌭 WATER PARK SERVICE & FOOD Our experience around the water park has also been limited. - No regular poolside service - Employees frequently standing around talking rather than attending to guests - On occasions, we observed employees talking around the lifeguard while the lifeguard was supervising the children's area - Very limited food selection - Hot dogs being offered looked like they had been sitting there for quite some time - Limited drink choices, including options for children For one of the main family amenities available to us, we expected a better overall experience. --- 🗣️ SERVICE FOR INTERNATIONAL GUESTS Spanish is obviously the language of the Dominican Republic, and I completely respect that. At the same time, this is an international resort serving travellers from around the world. During our stay, very few of the service employees we've dealt with have been able to communicate effectively with us in English, which has sometimes made basic requests more difficult. Combined with the limited international food selection and the way the facilities become overwhelmed during busy weekend periods, our experience has felt less geared toward international tourists than other Punta Cana resorts we've stayed at. Again, this is a resort-management/service observation, not a criticism of local guests or employees for speaking Spanish. --- 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 OVERALL — WOULD I RECOMMEND IT FOR FAMILIES? Based on our experience so far, no. The individual issues may not sound significant on their own. It's the accumulation and repetition that has affected our vacation. In four days, our experience has included: - ❌ Still no crib despite requesting it before arrival and through multiple departments - ❌ Confirmed room refresh not completed - ❌ Repeated housekeeping follow-ups - ❌ Plumbing issues involving the toilet, shower and sink - ❌ No room service - ❌ Basic minibar - ❌ Limited in-room children's entertainment - ❌ Very little indoor family activity during rainy weather - ❌ Kids Club requiring children to be dropped off - ❌ Limited buffet table service - ❌ Significant weekend buffet lines - ❌ Repetitive buffet food - ❌ Limited international food selection - ❌ Difficulty accessing the advertised restaurants - ❌ Consistent 20–30 minute waits between appetizers and main courses - ❌ Shared and dated children's water park - ❌ Significant weekend crowding at the water park - ❌ Limited water-park food and service - ❌ Communication difficulties with many guest-facing employees There have absolutely been positives—particularly Adeline, Marisol and Aldo—but unfortunately the overall experience has not matched what we expected. --- 🇩🇴 WE COME TO THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC REGULARLY For approximately five years, we have travelled to the Dominican Republic around three times per year. We've stayed at many different types of resorts and different price points. For what we paid for this vacation, our experience has been considerably better elsewhere in Punta Cana. We've personally had particularly good experiences at Meliá properties, including Paradisus, where we found the overall service and experience better suited to what we expect from an international resort. There are also many other established options in Punta Cana—Majestic, Excellence, RIU, Hard Rock, Nickelodeon and others—that travellers can compare before booking. For us, other properties we've experienced have simply done a better job of allowing us to relax and enjoy the vacation rather than repeatedly following up on basic service requests. --- 📍 TO MANAGEMENT — ROOM 5201 I'm including Room 5201 intentionally. WE ARE STILL STAYING AT THE RESORT. Management, reception and guest services know exactly where to find us. I'm posting this review now because I would genuinely prefer for management to have an opportunity to improve our experience while we're still here. I don't expect perfection. Things go wrong at hotels. What has disappointed us is the repeated lack of follow-through after issues are reported or requests are confirmed. At this point, I don't need another apology. I would simply like the services we've requested and been told would be provided to actually be delivered. ⭐ Based on our experience so far: 1 star. If management genuinely addresses these issues and our experience changes before we leave, I will update this review to reflect that.

Just got home from our second visit to this fabulous resort in our beloved Punta Cana. My husband and I until now have never visited the same resort twice however made an exception for Ambar. We absolutely love everything from the amazing staff, restaurants, food, entertainment. If you request assistance nothing is too much trouble. We tried a corner swim up room which we absolutely fell in love with. Cannot wait to rebook our third for my 60th birthday in 2028 and looking forward to seeing all the lovely staff again who are a credit to Ambar.