HM Alma de Bayahibe

A nice resort with 3 swimming pools to relax with full buffet and friendly staff. In addition, if the sea water is calm you are allowed to swim and snorkel right off the resort. As an experienced free-diver, I had a chance to do some free-diving during my stay, and enjoyed it very much. The regular fresh water pool is also nice and attractive and I was able to do some lap swimming as well. A highly recommended resort!

We stayed at the property for 12 days to celebrate our honeymoon, starting from October 12th to October 24th. Our room was good but nothing spectacular, we were in room 4509 and the view was great but a few staff members are the ones who made the experience memorable.I can comfortably say that most of the staff on property were kind, accommodating and helpful, from the front desk, gift shop, housekeeper, servers and chefs. The chef working the omelette station the last 5 days that we were there was very nice and professional and did our omelette the best I wish I had gotten his name to give him the recognition he deserves. Next is Isael, he had served us for about 3 nights and his service was always heartwarming, you could tell he genuinely wanted to make sure we had everything that we needed and would always refill our water without having to ask. The lady at the gift shop was super nice as well, we wanted to purchase some items but at the time our sizes were not available, she ensured the items we wanted were delivered on time before our final day, I also wish I got her name. Finally I would like to give a very very special shout out to Esmerlin we met him the first day of our arrival, at the food truck. Everything about him was so sincere and he was like that with everyone, just observing him and how he interacted with everyone who came up to him to place an order you could tell that he genuinely cares about the people and wants to make sure that everyone is having a great time, he was definitely one of the highlights of our trip and someone to remember. He deserves all the good things coming to him.

One of the Worst Hotel Experiences – I Would Never Return Unfortunately, this was one of the worst hotel experiences I’ve ever had. I had high expectations for an all-inclusive resort, but this place fell far below them. There were so many disappointing things about our stay that I would never return or recommend this hotel to anyone. First, there was absolutely no accommodation for early check-in, which was frustrating after traveling. The food was another major disappointment. There is only one main buffet, and the food was basically the same every single day. The only real difference seemed to be the type of meat being served, and even that was horrible. The rice was particularly bad, with many parts being hard and unpleasant to eat. For an all-inclusive resort, the lack of variety and poor food quality were unacceptable. The only other food option was a small late-night snack bar open from approximately 10 PM to 1 AM, serving basic items like hamburgers and fries. The pool closing at 7 PM was absolutely ridiculous. I have never stayed at a resort where the pools closed that early. You are on vacation, and you expect to be able to enjoy the pool into the evening, not be forced out at 7 PM. The customer service was just as disappointing. Aside from the woman who checked us in, who was friendly, the staff we encountered generally did not make us feel welcome. I even tried calling the front desk and received no answer. On our last day, we simply wanted to grab a quick bite to eat before heading to the airport. We did not have an excessive amount of luggage, yet we were not allowed to enter the buffet area with it. It was frustrating that something so simple became another negative experience when we were just trying to enjoy our last few moments before leaving. There was also an issue with the dress code at the buffet. We were told we could not enter wearing a bathing suit top and shorts and had to change. While I understand that hotels can have dress codes, the way the situation was handled made me feel singled out. Location is another thing to consider. Although the resort is near downtown Bayahibe and there are boats nearby for excursions, many of the island’s other attractions require a significant drive. If you want to venture out and explore more of the Dominican Republic, expect to spend at least an hour traveling to reach many destinations. My recommendation would be to consider staying in Santo Domingo instead, especially if you want more dining options, places to explore, and a better overall experience. Between the terrible food, lack of variety, unfriendly service, unanswered calls to the front desk, extremely early pool closing time, and frustrating restrictions, this resort was simply not worth it for me. An all-inclusive vacation should be relaxing and enjoyable, but this experience was the complete opposite. There are too many issues to overlook, and this is a hotel I will never, ever return to.

Food was shocking. Recycled from the resterants. Staff rude or not engaged if you are not Spanish or Canadian. The bar staff were inattentive and rude. Other than the guy at the late bar who was always lovely. The entertainment was poor. The same thing night after night from the entertainment team. Our room was not cleaned and when asked for this to be done. The maid was rude and looked very put out. The staff as a whole could do with a course in people management. Could look at you like you were a nuisance just by asking for a drink by the pool or lobby. Rattled the trollys back and forth past out room at 1am nightly. Discussed with reception and nothing changed.

Do not go if you are English. The staff are rude, miserable and only interested in the Spanish. The drinks and food are appalling. We stayed for 11 nights, not one member of the animation team spoke to us in all that time, everything is announced in Spanish only. Do not expect to be offered a drink with dinner as you will be disappointed. Only pro was the hot weather, the staff are awful.